Halloween Cards (2013)

I started thinking about Halloween cards earlier this month, then a little tug in my memory somewhere made me think that I had already made them.

Off I went up the stairs in search (gotta do it while I am thinking about it or that thought is gone lately!)

Low and behold, there they were. Done! Good job Em!

After looking for a photo to use in the this post, I see that I made these cards back in February! I love it when I think ahead.

When I was making these cards, I remember running short on designer paper so I made up another version. Just added another layer of cardstock (black).

Here are some other Halloween cards that I have made:

• Halloween Cards

You can also see some other holiday cards that I have been working on.

• Christmas Cards (for my parents)

Will you be making some card this holiday season?

Sincerely, Emily

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Occupy Safeway

One sees these things coming. A venerable locally-owned brand is sold to a national chain, which then abandons it. Boom. Local ownership gone. Safeway, the grocery store chain (or more likely the holding company that owns Safeway), just axed Dominick’s in Chicago. They are closing dozens, for all I know hundreds, of neighborhood stores. I’m hoping that another local chain will reap the windfall, but think it’s more likely we’re going to end up with WalMarts filled with processed foods and a few bruised Chilean apples and e. coli-contaminated salad bags to keep Mrs. Obama and her corporate sponsors happy.

I say No. Here are my demands:

1. Only healthy junk food, with pictures of rain forests and bunnies so I know it’s safe
2. Fresh organic lettuce, sold in plastic bags, preferably pre-cut, because who has time.
3. No dirt– otherwise who KNOWS where that turnip has been
4. Healthy options at MacDonald’s. If you eat a salad with the Big Mac, I’m pretty sure it has fewer calories.
5. Have Maria teach me the proper pronunciation of “habanero” next time she comes to clean
6. All vegetables presented in faux wood bins, with real wicker baskets instead of shopping carts so I can pretend I’m at the Farmers Market, which is full of all these farmers, which can’t be sanitary
7. A special display with 14 different heirloom tomatoes (not 14 types–14 tomatoes) so I can say I’ve seen one. Make sure they cost $7 apiece so I can complain about how organic (sic) is too expensive
8. Candy in the checkout aisle. Because those nuts from Occupy Safeway are blocking access to the candy.
9. Support local farmers! Give them jobs as baggers, since their farms are all mortgaged to the hilt.

Originally posted on the Mahlzeit blog, October 21, 2011.

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Sunday Photos: A

A is for…

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Well, apple, of course. Here’s my (Alexandra) recipe for a quick and delicious breakfast, with a pertinent post from the archives. The picture is from my late lamented wild apple tree, cultivar unknown, victim of blight.

And also, Alexandra. (Yes I cut my own bangs. Also the bangs of every doll I owned. There are ALL crooked.)

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Yes, A is for Apple. I Sincerely, Emily, think we must have all had the same cardboard alphabet books when we were growing up!)

A is also for …Art

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What is A for in your part of the world?

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Memories – Dad

My dad passed away the weekend before Thanksgiving 25 years ago. For many, many years, Thanksgiving was a hard time for me. He left us way too early.It would have been my dad’s birthday last week, so this time of year he is on my mind a lot. He would have been 83 this week.

It is a good time to take a walk down memory lane and think of the many things that he taught me and the things we did together. I remember playing catch in our yard in WI and also in MN. He had a worn, and very soft baseball mitt. It was way too big for me, but I remember the feel of it when I would slip my hand into it. I had my own glove and I remember how stiff it was when we bought it. I remember rubbing some sort of conditioner or sealer into it and them putting a softball in it and wrapping twine around it to help form it.

June 1967

Frisbee was also something I did with dad. Back and forth. Learning to control the angle and speed and direction. We would throw it different ways to see what we could do. As I got better we would take a step back to increase the distance between us. Where ever we went, there was always a Frisbee in the trunk of the car, just in case we had time to play.

He also taught me how to shoot a gun, load ammunition and hunt. He taught me how to water ski and drive the boat. He watched Star Trek and M.A.S.H., so I did too.

It isn’t just this time of year I remember my dad, I think of him often. My brother and I talk about the different things we did with dad. We have some great memories.

Do you have special memories of your Dad?

Sincerely, Emily

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Sunday photos- remembering

High school reunions, homecoming, Veterans Day. A time to honor the past, and our lost ones.

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Last week I (Alexandra), attended my high school reunion. Since it was a weekend for remembering, I finished the trip at the beautiful graveyard near the house where I grew up. Some people had many remembering them, but some were waiting for me to acknowledge with a pebble that the departed ones are worth remembering, even by strangers.

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I (Sincerely, Emily) am remembering my Dad. He would have been 83 this past week.

Dad

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Knitting for a cause

I am knitting again for the Special Olympics Scarf Project. Here is a link to the information for Texas. Towards the bottom of this post I have listed a link to Colouring with Yarn. They have complied a great list of the participating states and the details. One thing that I will add –  if your state is not participating, you can still knit/crochet/loom scarves – just send them to another state!!!

I am trying to challenge myself with some new patterns, but still keep it brainless. I am currently working on an eyelet pattern  (scarf #3), that is not so brainless. I really have to pay attention. I have typed out the pattern large enough so I can read it from a distance and I use a piece of masking tape placed under the row that I am currently working on. That helps.

my method of keeping track of where I am – a piece of masking tape.

Are there any knitters out there? Row 3 in the pattern above ended in “k2tog, yo, k2top yo” ….  I would still consider myself a beginner, but ending a row in a “yo” just doesn’t make sense to me, so I reversed the order to read “yo, 2ktog, yo, 2ktog.”  Is that a misprint, or can you really end a row with a “yo” (yarn over)?

I have also come up with a way to keep the scarf out of the way as it gets longer. Boy, does that help a lot! There is enough cat hair on this scarf the way it is, I certainly don’t need to add more by letting it drag on the floor. How do you keep your scarf (or large project) out of the way as you knit?

How do you keep your project out of the way?

With the Special Olympics Scarf Project you can knit, crochet or loom your scarves… what ever works for you. I can really crank out a crocheted scarf, but then my right hand is done in for several weeks… so I do the knitting. I have noticed with knitting this year, I am now feeling it in my hands also…. just can’t win. So I do a little at a time instead of an hour – that helps.

Here are some of the specifics for the scarves. Dimensions are:

• 54-60 inches long
• 6 to 7 inches wide
• Pack scarves individually in zip-bags for mailing
• The notes to the athletes are great, so by all means include those, we just ask you please not attach them to the scarves themselves.

Scarves can be made in any pattern and can be knitted, loomed or crocheted.
Please wash the scarf before sending it, especially if you smoke or have pets.

Click on the link to Colouring with Yard below for a list of the participating states.  some other states that are participating. If you do not see your state, pick another state, go pick up some yarn and start knitting. You can knit for any state that you want, as long as you are using the colored yarn for that state.

Colouring with Yarn has a great post showing the details for:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kentucky
• Kansas
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah

Here are a few posts about the past scarves that I sent:

• Knitting scarves for the Special Olympics (Sept 2011)
• 1st Scarf Finished (Oct 2011)
• 2nd Scarf (Oct 2011
• 3rd Scarf (Dec 2011)
• #4, #5, #6, etc (Jan 2012)

Do you knit (or crochet) for a cause? Tell us about it. Share links in your comment.

Sincerely, Emily

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Sunday Photos- Local

This week, we’re inspired by the leaders of natural and local, be it gardens or food.

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This week I (Sincerely, Emily) arranged a field trip for the local garden club that I am in. We went to The Natural Gardener in Austin, TX owned by John Dromgoole (has been doing an organic radio show for 30 years.) The nursery was wonderful and celebrates 30 years this year. Then we headed to lunch at a local restaurant called Jack Allen’s Kitchen. They work with local farmers to use local and seasonal food in some of the dishes.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto Marinated Chicken Breast, Portobello mushroom stuffed with artichoke gratin and goat cheese drizzle

It was a great day. Local Nursery. Local Restaurant (serving some local food!) Good Friends.

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As local as it gets. The last tomato harvest.

What have you been up to this week?

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My sense of fashion

I graduated from college with a degree in Art/Interior Design, so what I am about to show you is rather scary, but keep in mind that I just don’t care. What I mean is, I care about you, just not about what I am about to show you…

hot pink pants (great garden pans!) and very comfortable maroon sweatshirt

Actually I do have a good sense of what colors go together, you just can’t tell by what I am wearing when I work in the yard most of the time…

The pink shorts (above photo) I bought on purpose many years ago. I bought the maroon sweatshirt on purpose many years ago too.

Those hot pink pants (above) were the perfect thrift store fine. Perfect for the garden. The blue windbreaker was another thrift store find, complete with a casino logo on it from California.

The army green muck boots – I really wanted the lime green ones at Fleet Farm up in Wisconsin, but they didn’t have my size. That really would have made my outfits complete! Right?

I know one person out there reading this is rolling her eyes right now. Her name starts with a “G” and I know she is thinking “What has happened to her?” (now that she has just read this last sentence, she is laughing – I hope!

I just want to say… I don’t go out in public wearing these clothes…. these are strictly yard clothes and I think that they are great yard clothes!

The neighbors don’t even seem to bat an eye (at least not in my presence!)

He helps with with the laundry

It is kind of funny that when I found Wocket and immediately brought him home (thrift store find). After all, he has the same fashion sense that I do when working outside.

Sincerely, Emily

 

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Sunday photos: Noon

“Twelve o’clock! It is the natural centre, key-stone, and very heart of the day.” –Herman Melville

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I’m (Alexandra) a morning person. By the time noon comes ’round, I’m pretty much done for the day.

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Noon…. hmmmm. Some days, I (Sincerely, Emily) feel like I am just getting into the groove of the day. Noon…. Probably (finally) just say down to eat something. Noon…. with my erratic sleeping and resting schedule over the past 9 months, it might be time for a nap.

Tiger Tail – March 2008 – Palm Springs, CA

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What are you up to at Noon?

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Noon

As I mentioned in my post last Thursday, I can be all over the board in terms of time. Usually around 11 or 12 I am getting a message from my stomach that it is time to eat something. (other days it is 8am, it really just varies)

This past Sunday we focused on “noon.” (No, your aren’t losing it. We haven’t posted the Sunday Photos: Noon post yet. But if you check back this coming Sunday….. we will)  Whatever you call it – Noon, midday, break-time, lunchtime, 12 o’clock, it is just a number to me.

My body has been healing well and I was starting to get up around 7am. Suddenly I am exhausted again and sleeping until who knows what time. I understand that my body needs the rest and so I am not strict about the time or pushing myself to get up early. With that said, I am still exhausted by mid-day and therefore there is a nap in there somewhere. I usually try to push through noon and try to make it until 1-2pm. Anytime after that and it really messes up my nighttime sleeping.

Kivuli has the right idea about nap time.

Depending on the season, noon can be great. In the winter, the temps outside are perfect and I can be out there at anytime of day. In the summer, when I am feeling normal and healthy, I am up at day break to get some work down outside before it is sweltering hot and unbearable. Noon in the summer is an indoor, air conditioning on and fans a blowing time of day.

When I was out in the working world, I worked a few different shifts. if I was on the 5:45am – 2:15pm shift – noon meant my work day was almost over. If I was on the 2pm-10pm shift – noon meant that I better be thinking about getting ready for work.

Note: so much for trying to be organized. I jumped the gun and posted about “noon” before the post this coming Sunday. Maybe I should go out and get a watch watch with one of those calendar clipped on the band like my dad had!

Noon – what does it mean to you?

Sincerely, Emily

You can see what else I am up to over at Sincerely, Emily. The topics are varied, as I jump around from gardening to sewing to making bread or lotion and many things in between.

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