so this is christmas ....

it jumped in my cart!

i was at walmart last weekend, with my shopping list in hand. and of course, with this holiday season, walmart had some seasonal clearance items on a table near the front.


one thing walmart can be good for is they often have "seasonal" nordic ware cake pans available. i couldn't resist this one.

not going there ....

... there, as in how long it's been since my last update. the funny thing is, my life right now is much more non-knitty vs. knitty. there simply aren't enough hours in the day.

but, whatever. i have pictures!


this is what's been sucking up all my time. not the cup, so much as the employment. it's good though. the adjustment has been huge. training was 7 weeks long, and i'm only about to begin my 4th week 'on the floor'. my schedule is what i requested, but during the busy time, overtime is mandatory. i have some 12 hr days ahead of me. i will never complain about making money though.

another new thing for me ... i purchased my first novel in i don't know how many years ! i don't typically buy books i can borrow (ie: friends or library). but, because this is a new release, and i was somewhere between 200 and 300 in queue for this book from the library, i made the purchase. sam's club has some good prices on books and magazines! (ps. i think this is the 7th book in the series)(first 6 read were jackie's copies)


often, i equate purchase price vs. hours of enjoyment. well, $17 over 3 to 5 months sounds like a pretty good deal to me. i got this yesterday, and left it on my bed for bedtime reading. when bedtime came around, i paged through some knitting & crochet magazines, then i got all comfortable for my book. after a page or two, my eyelids gave way.

tonight, i will have to start over, as i have no memory of what i read.

and another great thing about what makes home home ....


... my blue bunny! i got to go visit a couple of dear friends a couple of weeks ago. it was a celebration, with will getting his doctorate degree. i love visiting leanne & will.

i brought home a blue bunny, made by leanne. at first, he lived in the living room. but, it wasn't "right". then, during this weekend of nothing but relaxation, blue bunny found his way outside, on the porch. though he looks startled, he's quite content. he's up (second floor) on a porch, facing a very active street, but safe from the public. he needed a better background, so i tossed a scrap of fabric on the crappy table outside. now, i'm thinking, i need to hem the fabric with ball fringe.

beautiful beetle

it's no secret i love bugs, except for cockroaches, mosquitos, and fleas, and other piojos. i once even had the luck of discovering and touring the May Natural History Museum near colorado springs.

anyways, today i was at the mall. i had to spend some "belks bucks" (essentially, free money for previous spending, with an expiration date). sometimes i'm not a very good shopper. but, i had this free money that was going to expire by closing time tomorrow. so i HAD to spend it.


i didn't want clothing, or shoes, or sheets, etc. i ended up in the jewelry department. i don't like high polish, or lots of bling. and when i saw this, i knew it was the one.

it's quite heavy, and the pendant part is 2.25" tall and 1.5" wide. it's made by fossil. i love it!

monsters are good

stuart has a talent for making new friends. he is especially fond of other monsters. who knew monsters could be so cute?!

around the house ....

stuart in his bicho mask

domo in his bicho mask

a "heavy" hammy

new dansko 'sissy' sandals in poppy

garden creatures

everything's coming up lilies.

peanut noodles

i tried this recipe tonight and it was easy and delicious!

spring cleaning

i'm not sure if the yellow haze is over ... but i did clean the porch yesterday, and moved the plants outside. some of them have outgrown their pots ... so repotting may be what's next on the outdoor stuff.

change ....

yesterday, i got my first real whiff of summer ... the smell of fresh cut grass. oh, how i love the scent ...


i took a nice long walk yesterday. i should had taken more photos. instead, i was just checking out everyone's yards, porches, and windows. it's fun to look.

tomorrow's forecast is for the *perfect day* ... sunny, blue skies, around 70*. i plan on some spring cleaning.

tonight ... i am knitting on a sock and watching movies. i just finished elegy, which i really enjoyed. it was sad, but in a good way. the story is interesting.

next up? hmmm ... something "instant" on netflix.


oh! quick quote ...

"time passes when you're not looking"

just a little fun

visited 14 states (6.22%)
Create your own visited map of The World or website vertaling duits?


visited 39 states (78%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Best time to visit Tunisia

i've had my fish now for about two months ... and he's still swimming ....


this was fun and quick with my photo software. now, if i remembered what i did ... !

new lights for springtime

when the weather gets warmer, i love having the kitchen door open. the porch just outside that door has been in a disarray for quite some time, so i have slowly been cleaning it up and making it pretty. i still have a pile of dead potted plants to deal with, but i will soon enough on a really warm day.

i finally took down my christmas lights this past weekend, and replaced them with my sunflower lights. but, after a couple days of sunflower lights, i grew tired of them (i've had them for years).

i got some "fresh" lights at target. they were on sale and i had a gift card. i got two strings of lights (they're really short!).

ummm ... the kitchen smells so good!

it's one of those days when i could finally cook for myself ... without considering whether or not someone liked garlic or onions, spice or bland, etc ....

last night, i was reading through my cookbooks and picked a couple of recipes. one, for a cauliflower soup, will have to wait for tomorrow (i misread its cooktime). but the other, braised herbed turkey legs is in the crock right now!


there are 6 legs in the crock ... which spells leftovers. i am a huge fan of reheating vs. cooking.

when in the kitchen, i don't notice the aroma so much until i leave and return. and then, the smell knocks me down. sigh. so good!

dinner is at 7pm sharp. don't come knocking.

flocked trees

... such a pretty day after a really crappy day/night! the power was out for only 4 hours. i was snug in bed with my 0* bag, reading with a wee book light. and then, in the morning, all the clouds were gone with this amazing display.

life, swedish style

yay! the new IKEA opened this week in charlotte, nc. i did not go to the grand opening. i don't know how busy it was, but the news showed people camping out for the opening giveaways and prizes. i'm not a fan of crowds, so i waited ....

mom and i went today. when we arrived, we went directly upstairs for breakfast. then, she spotted the kid section with toys and away she went.

because of this initial distraction, we ended up going through the showroom backwards. it became obvious after realizing everyone was coming towards us, and then ... there were those big arrows painted on the floor. oops.

we had fun, and i got a couple of things.


yay! glassware! ... i do not need anymore glasses. my cabinet is full. but, these were so pretty, and cheap. and about 3 minutes later, i found the matching tray (didn't know there was one 'til we stumbled upon it).

i also picked up this ice tray.


can you really pass up on swedish fish at ikea ?!

bread

... yeah, bread ....

i made bread. i acquired a bread machine (my second, first one "died" with first use). i've made a few loafs, but this one so far has been the best.

yum YUM! ... the flavor of onion bread! i made this loaf first for a gathering of friends, but i was low on time for the process. i chose a cycle that would not or could not produce a good loaf.

second time around, for myself ... pretty darn good!

i just got a couple of books today from the library ... i may have to turn in early for enough reading of red mars or the bread lover's bread machine cookbook.

either way, it will be good.

fish and food

not, fish as food !


first things first, i got a new fish. i haven't had fish for awhile. i took the simple route this time around. i have a 1 gallon tank ($10 from wally world) and a $5 betta. i haven't read up on bettas yet. but, if they can live in a tiny cup on a dark shelf at the store, then they should be okay in this set up. and, they're classified as "beginner" fish. i think that's more my speed these days.



doesn't that look good?! i roasted some garlic the other day, and of course gobbled an entire bulb fresh from the oven (garlic toast!).



my pyrex was perfect for this. i fit four bulbs into the dish (with lid) and put it in the oven for about 1hr 20min at 350*. easy peasy. just slice off the top, sprinkle some salt, drizzle some olive oil, and bake. and once it's roasted, you can keep it in the fridge for up to a month (or longer?). it doesn't matter. it won't last a week here.

snowday ...

when i woke up this morning, i remembered the forecast. the light on the closed blinds was different. i opened the blinds to a winter wonderland.

how pretty! i hate that most of it's going to melt tomorrow. i've had a great day of piddling, knitting, looking out the windows, etc. i'm still in my pj's. i'm going to finish this one movie (return of the king) and then pop in another. though the snow has stopped, and the sun is shining low ... nearing sunset, it's still a snowday to me. the creatures really enjoyed it too!

i like pictures

this is stuart snuggling up in bed with lucy. no ! there is nothing dirty going on ! lucy was in stuart's christmas stocking. at first, he was like, "i dunno" ... but she kinda grew on him, and she's cute, and he loves her (as do i).

it's been COLD. my thermostat is 63* right now, but that's 63" above the floor (funny, huh?). let's just assume the floor is a minimum of 10* or more colder (hello old bldg, no insulation, plaster walls, high ceilings, drafty windows, hardwood floors). and the computer chair ... cold. thus, i am wearing my layers, and a hat.

i do plan on doing some *cooking* today. well, not exactly cooking ... more like assembling. i want to make some hummus. my favorite recipes come from 28cooks. she's a great lover of hummus, and i picked up a few ingredients today from the grocery to make at least two different batches. i'm really glad i have a food processor for the job.

i have also been thinking about an immersion blender. i'd like to get one, but i cannot decide on what features i want. hmmmm ... homework .....

walking

i took a very nice walk the other day. i will post more pictures later ... but this picture is for the one who won't let up about posting.

of course, the entire time i'm taking this shot, i'm thinking, ... something is going to pop its face into the broken pane !!!

that's what happens when you're raised by matinee tv of the 70's. thanks mom.

last day

back to normal ?!

for the goomba

LOOK goomba, i updated !