For Crying Out Loud

I find it interesting that you refer to yourself as a housewife.

I know. It is sort of ironic, because, believe me, I am not married to my house. I hardly clean (I never really did -- I just had you guys do it) and cooking is a vague memory. When I am left to make dinner, I can't even think what to make. Either I reheat leftovers (neatly and considerately packaged by your father in individual servings) or make up a package of spinach and eat the whole thing. It is quite yummy. I saute an onion in olive oil first, then put in the spinach with some Jane's Crazy Mix-up Salt and some balsamic vinegar and cook until just melted. Then I turn up the heat and evaporate all the liquid, stirring swiftly. My new favorite food.

I just still haven't redefined myself. In what terms? My career? My relationship to my children? to my husband? Why am I talking about myself in terms of others? oooo, this is too much like work. My brain is hurting.

It has become coldish here to. Brisk winds and colder temperatures. I lost another glove yesterday! I'm done to one pair of cheap gloves that don't even reach my wrist...what am I to do with myself...perhaps I should put my mittens on a string and through my coat sleeves!

You need a new pair of mittens? What color(s)? I will gladly knit you a new pair, but you might want to buy some more anyway. I'm not sure I can get them to you before I leave. I am working on a scarf to take to Israel (I don't know if it will go to Violetta or Mara) so I need to finish that. But I do have a Ruhi this weekend and that is always a good opportunity to knit, if you get me your color choice quickly. I can even put them on a string (matching) if you like.

hey maman, we got a very light dusting here, too. but it looks like i'll be home soon enough to hang out for a day.

Ma,
I am very much into the colors of dusty green(think my jean jacket I brought home) and also baby blue-though not together! perhaps a green and dark purple or a baby blue and dark purple (plum or whatever:) Is this too specific? Sorry! I love those mittens you made me before...I really do need them on a string!

Mensch -- Does this mean you've secured a ride? When?

Rae -- I actually like olive/sage green with pale blue. Actually, I like all the colors you mentioned and I like them together, in the right shades. I will see what I can do, what yarn I can find. Is you winter coat still the red one? And I know that you like the mittens, etc and that you don't lose them on purpose. If you didn't like them, you wouldn't even mention that you had lost them; you would just go to Sprawl-Mart and buy new cheapies. It makes me feel needed.

Sprawl-Mart! I love it! Those places are HUGE!! MASSIVE WAREHOUSES!! scary...and yet, convenient...hmm...

I wish I could take credit for Sprawl-Mart, but I can't. I stole it from Crankshaft. It does describe so accurately the experience. Horrible, yet we all shop there for some things.

I don't- ever....but target is pretty similar so...guilty as charged!

if captive means that we can enjoy a conversation, Yes! if not, well, we can work that out when i get home

Well, whether we enjoy the conversation or not, is a whole different subject. I must say, that is my hope and aim. I just have to get some yarn to make Rae some mittens . . . and a hat . . . and a scarf . . . and a pair of . . .

Rae,
Went to Pat Catan's with Mensch. Had a good conversation; we did enjoy iy. That is the good part.

The bad part is that I didn't find any yarn I was willing to work with. The only thing they had was the magic stripes, which a) was my least favorite of the four choices and b) was so fine that I would have been knitting for three years to make much of anything. So, I am going to order on line. Either the tweed green or tangerine hokey pokey. Do you have a strong preference between those two? I didn't even find a sample of the hokey pokey, so I am not absolutely sure what it is like. If either one of them has a bit of wool in them, that would be my preference.

I have almost finished (as in: run out of yarn so it must be big enough) the scarf that turned into a shawl. I think I may have shown you the scarf when you were here at Thanksgiving. I tore it out and started all over again with bigger needles, a new stitch and different shape. It has completely been transformed from practical and sort of weird into beautiful and hopefully still usable, if not fully practical. I wish I could show it to you. I could take a picture, but how could I convey the drape, the hand?
(I love being pleased with a project. but I fear that I am sounding smug and self-pleased.)

Oh, do you mind some 'fun' embellishments on your mittens, etc? I had some ideas while I was at Pat Catan's but if you are feeling conservative, I will restrain myself. But then someone better start giving me grandchildren to make the fun stuff for, or you all will have to endure my 'creativity'! Be forewarned!

I'd be happy to receive some creative 'embellishments'.

Though I'd be happy with children, too.

Now, embellishments on grandchildren. . . that is a thought to contemplate.

Mara, if you would like some embellishments for yourself, we can talk when I get there. (and I have a little gift for you!)

Rae, I got the tweed yarn yesterday. It is all acrylic, but got two good reviews from previous knitters. The Ombre would have been cheaper and is a bigger yarn, so would have gone faster, but would not have offered as much against the wind. I am still considering an embellishing yarn, but not if you don't want it! Please let me know or you will have to live with it!

Mara, I decided not to knit for Violetta after reading her blog about mailing to Africa. It makes much more sense to me to have her send me her address once she is in the US and then I will knit and send to her once she gets here. I just couldn't burden the poor girl with one more thing to make a decision about what to do with.