Now Norma Knits

Terrier Tuesday -- Hiking With Chloe Edition

Dear Readers,

I bet you thought I forgot to blog this week, huh? Who, me? Never! I just got caught up with a few things, such as Alpha made me have ANOTHER bath last night, which means that she had to hold me until I dried because I was so dat burned COLD and shivering. And then this morning we had to go visit our veterinarian and I had to have some shots and stuff. 

The vet said I'm the most muscular Yorkie she has ever seen, perfectly proportioned, she says, and very healthy, and WHAT BIG TEETH I HAVE for a Yorkie! That might explain my adorable underbite.

She also said that I was the best-behaved Yorkie she had ever seen. I'm not letting it go to my head, because maybe she says that to all the dogs she sees. Or maybe I am indeed perfect. I'll let you decide.  

So one reason I'm so muscular and in such good shape, as you know, is because Alpha and I do a lot of exercise together. The other day we took another hike up the hill in the back of our house, and this time we took our friends Chloe and Jessica. Chloe is a Yorkie too!  

Jessica is a human. She is a lovely human. She spoils me when she babysits me, and takes me where she works, which is just like SO COOL and they love dogs there. 

Anyway, we had a great time and Alpha even remembered to bring the camera!

If I don't bark at you before then, be sure to have a Happy Thanksgiving, okay?

 

Love,

 

Mr. Jefferies

 

Popping Out of My Cave To Say Hi

I know it's seemed like I've been awfully quiet -- well, because I have, I guess. I've apparently alarmed a few, but don't worry:  I'm still here and kicking strongly! It really is rather pathetic, though. This formerly-every-single-day blogger (for several years running) is so rusty at it that I could not remember some of the commands in the Typepad software and it took a while to make this post. That is just sad.

But since we last spoke, let's see, I have....

1. Passed the Certified Realtime Reporter, Certified CART Provider, and Certified Broadcast Captioner exams. (Caveat: These are PRELIMINARY scores only! To be verified by the officials before they are OFFICIAL. You know. They have to check the security camera and the audio recording to make sure I didn't cheat, etc. I wonder if the "what the fuuuu..." that I once uttered will be used against me? I shouldn't joke. Heh.) These are long overdue and I should have taken them years ago, but I'm just getting around to it. You know how that goes. I've signed up for them a few times in the past, but then would get booked for a really great job that I could not pass up, and had to cancel them. This time I managed to fit them in. So now I have so many initials to put after my name, it's longer than my actual name.

2. Underwent a cardiac stress test with echocardiogram. That was fun. Not so much. But apparently it all looked unalarming and good enough.

3. Recorded into a log every single piece of food I have eaten, every single thing I have drunk, and every step of exercise I have done since I got out of the hospital. Taken and recorded my blood pressure, ditto.

4. Done a lot of CART work. A lot. 

5. Went to Vermont Sheep & Wool, trudged through the cold drizzle and mud for a couple of hours, and even bought some yarn. 

5. Went to Rhinebeck (!) and roomed with my traditional crew of lovely ladies:

Jenn (Nipperknits), Sandy, and Leigh

We have roomed together just about every year since 2004.

(Except that I couldn't go last year. I'm not bitter at all.)

Needless to say, we had a blast. I forgot my camera the first day, so I have appallingly few photos, but I did manage to get a fabulous one of Kay the second day:

We were underdressed for the weather the first day, and got chased back to the hotel by the cold and rain showers, so we missed out on seeing a lot of folks we wish we had seen. And we made a conscious decision to shop and eat and drink tea in the actual town of Rhinebeck. What a treat! All these years, and we've never really patronized the lovely little shops on the Main Street, as it were. We are so glad we did. I got two pieces of gorgeous jewelry -- one for me and one for a gift for Mr. Jefferies' sitter (Shhhhh, don't tell her. She doesn't read here, so I'm safe.), and we each got a few other great things. We ate a very special dinner at The Terrapin. So.good. SO good.

What else do I have to tell you? 

Oh! I got a new sweater kit for you-know-who:

And some lovely buttons for a sweater I hope to knit someday. I will knit again someday, won't I?

What number was I on? Aw, never mind. Bullets it will be from now on.

• I finally managed to mail Martin's package to him containing the two baby sweaters and the little hat I made way back last spring. You remember the ones, eh? This and This. They were received, and Martin was over the moon. I'm desperately hoping they still fit the baby boy, and hoping for pictures of him wearing it someday soon. 
• And well, because not enough of my body has started falling apart already, I had laser surgery today on one of my eyes, and the other is scheduled for Monday. It was for the condition as described in this YouTube video, should you wish to watch it. I love to watch it just to hear the name of the doctor speaking on that video. 

• Now, I know you really just wanted to see a photo of His Royal Highness, so here you go. Not a very glamorous one, but it's the best I could do in the failing light after my eyes were dilated and then one of them lasered. 

 

A Facebook Conversation Gone Wild

...with apologies for the bad formatting. I was definitely having challenges with the print screen function and cutting and pasting and pulling it into the blog....

             

(Before I made good on my threat to post this, I got the permission of [most of] those involved.) 

 

 

Oh HONEY! You Are So SWEET!

A package arrived at my doorstep yesterday morning, and inside it was this:

A jar of honey from the bees that work the garden of my sweet friends Margene and Smith, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A more meaningful and thoughtful gift I cannot imagine. I can't wait to have some in my pre-run breakfast drink this morning -- sweet and natural fuel for my run from across the miles. 

Thank you, my dear Margene and Smith! 

Yarn Goddess Project Bags

When Lisa stopped by to deliver my maple syrup the other day, she brought me a nice gift:

It's a project bag, with a cute Yarn Goddess logo. 

 

 

What I really like about it is that it is big enough to hold my medium-sized project (a felted bag), as well as my water flask and a few other small things, and the handles are the right size to hang over my steno case for wheeling around campus or traveling in an airport. 

It's not quite big enough to fit a Yorkie in it.

But an especially clever and mischievous one could tuck his squeaky rubber duck inside, and then give me a doleful look, blaming me for trying to steal it.

So if you've been looking for a project bag that has all these wonderful qualities, go on over to her etsy store (www.etsy.com/GoddessProjectBags) and order one from Lisa. You can choose the color of the Yarn Goddess's dress, too. 

Squeaky toy and Yorkie not included.

Emerging From the Fog

Little by little, slowly but surely, I am trying to get my life back into order after what will hereinafter be referred to as The Crazy Time [aka The CamPAIN]. But am I? Yes, I think I am. I'm not sure.

I was up at 4:00 this morning due to insomnia brought on by the wild winds outside that woke me up, and then my mind started going a thousand miles a minute. 

I now find myself in another one of my periods of under-employment, but this is working in favor of getting some long-overdue organizing and decluttering done in the house and the ability to do things like take impromptu trips to New York and to do some cooking to try to get my nutritional needs back on track and to get in some more exercising and knitting, and even -- *gasp* -- to plan a vacation. It's all good, eh?  

I remembered at 4:30 that I had not written a blog post, and decided that it was not too early to do a drawing for the winner of the book. And the winner, as chosen by the Random Number Generator, is long-time reader and commenter Mary Beth Mathews! I've emailed you, Mary Beth. Congratulations to Mary Beth, and thanks to everyone for playing!

It continues to amaze me that all of you have continued to live your lives and write your blogs while I've been In The Mists of The Crazy Time. WTF? Really! I just spent an hour trying to catch up with Anne of Knitspot, and am totally gobsmacked as always as to how productive you are, Anne. And I could die at the beauty of your new sweater, Leaving. DIE. I want one! And/but I've got so much still on my plate, and have to finish up these sweaters I've been working on, and I hate to admit it, but my forearms are again being bothered a bit by the knitting. And the sweater is knitted in Kim's beautiful yarn, and I just had no idea about all this wonderfulness that was going on out there. It's all just like -- Wait, you guys! Slow down!! I can't catch up! 

It is truly freezing outside right now, and has been for the past couple of nights. And soooo windy. I'm afraid to look to see whether there is snow swirling out there on that wind. I don't think it was predicted, but I've been too busy or distracted (or something) to look at a forecast.

I did not have a chance to look yesterday, but I'm guessing that my broccoli plants that were hanging on and which I hoped to get some more leaves from for eating (the florets have ceased forming, but I've been harvesting and eating and freezing the leaves) have probably succumbed to the frost. I'll have to check on them today, once the sun comes up.

Also once the sun comes up, I have to make a trip to do a whole bunch of errands -- bringing donations to three or four charities and picking up the turkey and getting some groceries and stuff. This, of course, is probably exactly when it will hit me that I have not had enough sleep and I'll be useless.

Oh! Before I forget it, there have been some inquiries about Red Scarf and someone asked whether I'll be collecting red scarves this year. Well, I've never really collected them -- only been sort of the head cheerleader -- and this year I just haven't had time for that, as I've mentioned once or twice or three hundred times so far. Please, though, I hope you are knitting or crocheting or weaving your scarves and sending them to the Orphan Foundation of America. All the information is on this page.

Even with all that's been going on with me, I've knitted four scarves so far this year, so come on! I know you can do it too! I have asked for a status update from Lynn, but I have not gotten an answer yet. Lynn, if you are reading this, go ahead and put a status update on the scarves in the comments here, if you have one.

 

 

zzzzzzz.... what? Oh, Wait. Did I Already Say That?

It's taking me a bit longer than I expected to get back on my feet. I'm thankfully not sick -- just tiiiiiiiiiired. Lucky for me, I do have the luxury of getting some extra rest (I had a 2-hour nap yesterday), so hopefully I won't get sick.

I got a wonderful package from Marianne the other day, and in it was a note on this paper:

....and yes, I feel exactly like that. Beet! I mean: beat! 

I can hardly get out of my own shadow. I did manage to accomplish a few things yesterday:

1) I archeologized (Yes, that is a word. Because I say so.) my pantry a little bit yesterday and got rid of the big tubs of drink mixes that were either a) all clumped together in a solid mass, b) had use-by dates at least five years ago, or c) both.

2) Ditto with some ancient magazines.

3) I found a place for a new old table we bought the other day while campaigning. (Campaigning does have its good sides.)

From Vallee's Den of Antiquity in Grand Isle, VT.

4) I watered my houseplants -- the few that were still clinging to life after being ignored for five or six months.

5) I wound up this ball of yarn:

And then I collapsed. 

P.S. This just in:  The complete Grand Isle County voting results are now posted on The Islander's website.

 

Red Scarves and Spindles and Other Stuff at Grand Isle Art Works

Beautiful red scarves sent to Grand Isle Art Works from Rosemary McNutt, displayed in Jim's beautiful spalted maple wood bowl. Yes, it's for sale. Contact jim@grandisleartworks.com for more info

An action shot -- Jim turning a spindle IN THE DARK, as he was doing when I arrived

So here's the yarn bowl I picked up for Kim.

It's beautiful, made of Vermont apple wood.

Jim's spindles

Zesty!

We had the most marvelous evening with friends last night. So much needed that even as we were walking from the car to their front door, I was already giggling -- even BEFORE I had the wine -- and I daresay I have not giggled in a few days. We opened the bottle of the Little Black Dress wine that I mentioned the other day/week/whatever, and I must say it went down quite nicely. We had lots of laughs and lots of strategy talk and lots of gossip. Just.about.perfect!!!!  

My friend Chris claims to not be much of a baker, but she served us some delicious lemon cake. Her only problem with it is that she says it's not rising as much as it should. This is her third try, and she was about to throw away the recipe.  

That's my crappy Blackberry photo of it. It's out of focus, but it tasted REALLY GREAT. Very lemony and almost shortbready for the cake part -- couldn't be better, in my book.  But she'd like it to look more like it looks in the photo in the magazine where she got the recipe -- it is considerably thicker in that photo. She said she tried new baking powder and baking soda, with no change.  

I told her no, don't throw away the recipe!  It was really too delicious. Let me see if some of the master bakers who read my blog can try it and see if it works out, or if indeed there is a mistake in the recipe. (Recipe appears in Victoria magazine, September 2002) 

Here it is:

Meyer Lemon Cake

1 1/2 sticks softened unsalted butter

1 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 T. Meyer lemon zest

3 T. Meyer lemon juice

1 t. vanilla or lemon extract

1 c. unsifted all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1/3 c. sour cream

 

For the decorative icing: 

1 c. confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 to 2 T. fresh lemon juice

 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter a deep 9-inch cake pan or coat it with vegetable cooking spray.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract.  Into another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the liquid, stirring until well incorporated.  Stir in the sour cream and blend well. 

Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 30-40 mins. or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. let cool in the pan for 5 mins. and invert it onto a rack to cool completely.

Make the icing:  Into a bowl, sift the confectioners' sugar.  Add 1 1/2 T of the lemon juice and stir the mixture until smooth and glossy, adding more lemon juice if necessary. Drizzle the icing over the cake and let dry before serving.  

 

Which Came First?

While I'm busy losing what's left of my mind over here, my friends always come through in a pinch. Just when I needed a laugh, I received this card in the mail from Margene:

Bwahahahahahahha. "Now we know the answer," wrote Margene.