Soup/Stew Recipes

Ok, this will not be a knitting post obviously. I thought I'd ask you for your favorite soup or stew recipes. I love a good soup or stew. I have a great made-from-scratch (yes, that means from chile pods) chili recipe I'll share with you later when I'm at home and have access to it. I also have a veggie beef soup recipe that is cooked in the slow cooker. So please share your soup and stew recipes with me!

Also, today is the day Susan B. is having her surgery. Please keep her in your prayers.

Blog Filler

1. FIRST NAME? Kay
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My dad said Kaye Starr but the aunt who was like a mother to him was Katherine. She and my mother didn't like each other so he knew he couldn't name me Katherine so he got close.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? last night
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? No, I hate it. In my old job when I had to leave notes for someone, I'd type them out.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? pastrami
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? yes.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? This is as close as I get these days.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?No lost them at age 5.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Hell no.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? My fave is Sugar Crisp. The one I eat most is Rice Chex.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? not if I can slip out of them.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? B & J's anything chocolate
14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2-9
15. RED OR PINK? Neither, I have my daddy's red headed complexion...I have enough red and pink without adding to it! lol
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I can't get motivated to lose weight.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My daddy
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? nope.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black slacks, blue sweater, black mules.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A bagel
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? two coworkers talking in the other room
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Willow Green
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Thanksgiving Dinner smells
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Margaret
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? If they come across as sincere and real
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON YOU GOT THIS FROM? I don't know her, I just follow her blog!! She seems nice!!
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Coke or fresh brewed iced tea
28. FAVORITE SPORT? You've got to be kidding.
29. EYE COLOR? Blue
30. HAT SIZE? have no idea.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Comfort foods
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings only
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter over summer but Fall is my favorite.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Assuming this means man/woman, kisses.
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? German chocolate cake or chocolate cheesecake
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? i dunno
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? everyone??? lol
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Knitting Rules by Stephanie Pearl McPhee!
41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? None, I use a tracball
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Desperate Housewives (recorded)
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? a voice
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? Mexico City or San Francisco
46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? good listener.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Hominy Oklahoma
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? nobody, i copied from Vanessa

Yarn Accountability

Ok, I decided this would be a yarn accountability post a few days ago. I was just slow in getting pictures taken.

This is a skein of Hempathy (you know, the kind Terri has an affinity for!). It's mostly hemp and cotton. I'll be knitting washcloths with it.









This is another skein of Blue Heron Rayon Metallic. Yay Margaret!!!! If you haven't been in this week, she has a beautiful display of this same yarn in several colors plus some rayon seed or is it bead?? Anyway, it's equally as gorgeous with a slub like texture. This is what I used to start my clapotis and found out 550 yards in a dk weight isn't enough to finish the clappy. So many thanks to Gourmet Yarn.








This is a skein of Anne by Schaefer Yarns. The different greens called to me and we bonded. Needless to say that means I had to buy it. I was reading an old Vogue Knitting the other day and read that Anne by Schaefer is Nancy Bush's favorite yarn to knit socks. Available in many lucious colorways at Gourmet Yarn. (Margaret, about that deal we made for shameless plugs.........) :-) Inspection by Lexi.







This is some sale yarn I found in Texas a few weeks ago. It was too good of a deal to pass up and the plan is to knit a sweater for CIC kids.













This is another purchase that will end up in a CIC sweater. Either the yarn or the color has been discontinued, can't remember which. Sorry.














In the book 25 Cushions to Knit there is a pattern for a pillow called Dewdrop. It's lace and is beaded. I couldn't resist. Although this isn't the color I had intended, again the price sold me. Now to get some beads that will fit the yarn. I need 2800. That sounds like alot of threading. It may take awhile, or weeks, hey...maybe years!! Stay tuned.








And last but not least some kitty porn. I realize there are a great many who will NEVER see this side of Lexi. She only poses like this when it's just me around. Unfortunately I didn't capture the best shot of those beautiful spots she has. Oh well, you'll have to make do with her lovely white tummy.



Hope ya'll have a great weekend and enjoy the crisp cool air!

Love of Animals

One of my earliest memories is of living in Cushing in this house that had the entire front and back yard fenced. I remember this small dog who came up to the fence gate in the front yard. She came up to me several times over the course of a few days and I petted and loved on her. I knew not to open the gate, I wasn't allowed to but I did. I wanted a dog so bad I was willing to break the rule and let that dog into my yard. I latched onto that little mutt and I guess my love of her was so great my folks caved. We didn't have alot of money back then and the care and expense of a pet wasn't in the budget. A few weeks passed and my parents realized this dog was pregnant. There was no way they could afford the one dog let alone a whole litter of puppies. So one Sunday after going to Sunday School and church we came home to a yard missing one dog. I cried and cried but the dog was gone. Fast forward about 25 years and some how the topic of that dog came up and my folks told me they had a friend who had a farm. He agreed to come pick up the dog while we were gone and take it out to his farm and give it a home. I felt tricked. Even after 25 years...but then I had a shoe to drop also. That is the same time I told them I knew who that dog belonged to and didn't tell because I wanted the dog. My, my, my...the lengths a 4 year old will go to in order to get a dog! lol I have a feeling that family didn't want her as we lived right down the street. They had to see that she was in our yard...so I don't carry much guilt about that.

When I was 10 I had to walk home from school and cross this one lane wooden bridge. We'd moved to Sapulpa by then. I remember a big bunch of us kids on the bridge when a large Buick or Oldsmobile tried to cross. The car tires had planks to run on and even though it was a one lane bridge we kids had plenty of space on either side to walk. This day there was a puppy on the bridge. It was so cute and I had not quite made it to the puppy when the lady driving the car rolled the window down and asked me to call the puppy to the side so she could pass. I called the puppy but the lady was in a hurry and started driving and ran over the puppy before it could get off the plank. I remember screaming and screaming that she was ON the puppy and she finally just drove off. She didn't stop to see about the dog or me. I was pretty hysterical by the time I made it to the house. My mother called my dad and told him he needed to come home from work and why. He came home and gathered the shovel and a box and walked down to the bridge. The puppy was dead by then and he picked up the puppy and buried it by the creek. Needless to say that was a very traumatic event in my life. One I've never forgotten.

All of this telling of stories to explain that I am a great animal lover. I cannot stand to see an animal neglected, mistreated or abused. I truly believe that you can tell the true character of a person by how they treat animals including those who don't belong to them.





This is Linen. I believe I introduced her on my blog a few weeks ago. She is a service dog. No, she doesn't always wear her little coat that announces that. In fact, I think myself along with many others know Gourmet Yarn is her second home. There aren't many who come into the back sofa section that don't get a very friendly happy greeting from Miss Linen. She does not jump on anyone. She just sniffs and wags her tail. Happy to make new friends. Notice her pretty bow on her collar? She had a beauty appointment earlier today. She was bathed and groomed and feeling very beautiful. If you go someplace where there is a pet like this and you don't want to be bothered, kindly ask the owner to get the dog. Linen doesn't realize there are people out there who don't want a beautiful four legged friend like her. She's just giving her unconditional love.


This little girl usually sniffs me over when I've come home with Linen scent on me. She didn't sniff long today....I think she is used to Linen's scent even if she's never met her. Lexi knows her mama has a lot of love to give to not only her but other cats and dogs she may come in contact with. That's the way the world should be in my opinion. Hope everyone has a great weekend!! Rain is coming and I can't wait!

Felting

What is this??? It's the Market Squares Entrelac Bag!!! FELTED!! Actually it's drying. I placed a small bowl inside the bottom and then inverted the felted bag over it so the bottom of the bag will have some flatness to it. I'm rather pleased with how this came out. I used Cascade 220. It always does so well. I was a little surprised in that it shrunk more in width than it did in height. It appears to be very sturdy. I was afraid it would come out a little wonky as my black edge at the top was not exactly perfect. lol




Another shot. The bottom "flower" in black came out more like a flower than the starburst of the other tiers. It's drying and I'm guessing it'll take a couple of days. My plan is to buy some black leather straps to attach to the bag and then give it to my favorite bag lady, my oldest niece who happens to be a sophomore at Colorado State in Fort Collins.








Miss Lexi was wanting to perch on a high spot tonight. Something about the blinds caught her attention and she would not turn to face the camera. The little toot!!












She later jumped down and again wouldn't look at me but I snapped the shot anyway. Hope everyone had a greet weekend. I'm still trying to rest up after the retreat. I swear I didn't know knitting could wear you out so!!!

Fall ReTREAT

Ok, I can't believe I just had a fantastic knitting weekend with a great group of gals and I have NO pictures to share of that group!!!! I'm definitely slipping in my old age. Oh don't let me forget that the most wonderful golden retriever in the world was there too, Linen. I understand why Nina loves her so....she is such a good and sweet dog.

So besides laughing and talking and getting to know others better this is what I accomplished this weekend. I finished the Market Squares Entrelac bag. AT LAST!!!!!!!!!!! I started this bag in August of 2005. I worked fast and




furious on it for a few weeks but then the guilt and panic set in because of my move. So I put it down to pack and didn't pick it back up until January or so. I think I worked on it for a few evenings and put it down again. I had to have Margaret's assistance to get started. (Funny how I forget in between times!!) But then realized I had to complete the next to the last tier and then the final tier! I can't believe I put it down that close to the end. But I did. So here are two pictures before it goes into the washer for felting.




And I worked on the 2nd sleeve on the CIC boatneck sweater and completed it!! Yippee!! Now to weave in allllllllll those ends and block and seam. Hopefully I'll have this done in the next few days.


I also worked on Nina a bit, sorry, no picture.






And finally, I started this sock at least five times. I finally got it started and hopefully will get it to the short row part in time for class next week.

To those of you who haven't attended Margaret's knitting retreat, you need too. It's so much fun to have a big room full of like minded people, working on beautiful objects. It gives me great motivation and ideas.

Thank you Margaret for putting on such a great retreat.

What Season Are You?

You Belong in Fall

Intelligent, introspective, and quite expressive at times... You appreciate the changes in color, climate, and mood that fall brings Whether you're carving wacky pumpkins or taking long drives, autumn is a favorite time of year for you

What Season Are You?