kindagrape

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.

i get it from my mother...

2009-07-03T09:07:00.002-04:00

...this insane compulsion to run with a theme. I blame her entirely for sending me the star-shaped ice trays last year. While they are fun enough as just regular ice, they do beg for some oomph...

We're having a cookout here for the 4th, and while I have grand visions of hostessness, most of them will not come true. But the ice can and will! Imagine a cool glass of seltzer, or a refreshing G&T. Yes, both quite nice. And yes, they both need something a bit colorful and citrusy...

I mixed about a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice with 1/2 cup of water and two drops of food coloring (red for lemon, blue for lime) and froze the mixture in the star ice trays (but this would be almost as cool with cubes). My hands got a bit Lady MacBeth when I handled them, so I think tongs are in order for guests. But a few of them in a glass adds just a bit of color and a hint of lemon/lime. Beautiful!

OK, off to make some more...

the benefits of email...

2009-07-02T21:52:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe in my email inbox the other day from delight.com. As if it were meant to be, it called for handfuls of sugar snap peas...the very thing that's ripe in my garden right now!

And so dinner tonight was this Quick Veggie Rice Bowl. We cooked a bit of chicken in a skillet before heating the sauce with it, and it was a nice addition. Next time I think I'll add just a touch of honey to the sauce, but regardless it was a delicious meal!

the good kind of pain...

2009-07-01T12:47:00.001-04:00

Last night Paul and I took a Balboa class (taught by our friend Emily) at Eleven on Grove. Balboa...think crowded ballrooms in the 30's with couples dancing close to fast music...I often envision guys in sailor suits leading, but maybe that's just me ;)

Awesome class! Since I didn't wear heels, I spent much of the hour and a half pretending by standing on the balls of my feet. Which of course gave me great posture, and totally left me today with sore calves. But, you know, in that good way that makes you know you were using your muscles. Is it an excuse to skip the gym? Hmmm...maybe not right now. In fact, I think I'll work on my calf strength a bit for the next round of dancing!

i spy with my little eye...

2009-06-26T09:21:00.003-04:00

...PEAS!

I'm getting it a tizzy of anticipation for the sugar snap peas that have appeared in the last day or so. Yes, I am easily excited. No, that is not as embarrassing as it should be.

The tomatoes are starting to turn red, and I have little tiny infant bell peppers. I want a home-grown stir fry!

Oh, and salsa!

after much fruitlessness...

2009-06-22T11:17:00.002-04:00

...I finally have a job interview! Part of me really wants this job, and part of me just really likes the fact that after a few months of sending out dozens and dozens (hundreds?) of resumes, someone has finally caught on to the fact that I might be a useful member of their company, and is giving me a chance to show it.

In all honesty, it was about two weeks ago that I began to really feel like I am ready to go back to work. It seems kind of indulgent to say that after the past year and a half of craziness and stress, I needed a few months off to get back my oomph. But I think it's true, and it's something that we usually don't let ourselves do, because it feels lazy. But really, there's no use in going into another job with a lot of baggage that doesn't relate to it, especially if you have the chance to shed some of it beforehand. I know that I've lost a bit of steam in the process, but I'm starting to feel more refreshed about my prospects. Things have a way of coming along at the right time for me (not necessarily when I WANT them...but certainly when I need them), and I'm feeling very ready for the next thing right now. And so the impatience begins!

visitors...

2009-06-20T16:57:00.002-04:00

These house finches seem to think that mi casa es su casa. They've been flying back and forth across the sunroom all afternoon. Apparently the fairy lights make quite a good perch. After leaving the door open for a while, the male finally found his way out, but the female sat chirping away for quite a while. Maybe she thought he would come back for her...