Sunday night

Until recently, my Sunday nights have had a surprising consistency. It's my day to cook. Really cook. Cook the kinds of things I just don't have time or energy to make mid-week... the long-simmering things, the big luscious stews, the soups and desserts and things. The last few weeks I've had other plans- but I haven't minded. I'm a lot like my mom about that- as long as I'm fed, I'm probably going to be happy. So long as it isn't treif, at least.

This whole weekend has been a very selfish weekend, however. A time to regroup, a time to focus in and frankly just putter around the apartment for once. I'm feeling much better as a result, as is evidenced by my making it to the gym and getting in a run before my gym buddy even got there! That may have been because I misread the clock and got there an hour early, but it definitely counts. After I got back I puttered some more, watched some bad tv on my DVR, and did laundry. And I started cooking!

I found a new beef stew recipe to try by checking out my copy of Fix and Forget It- Lightly, a pretty decent slow cooker book. I mainly chose the recipe because I had all the ingredients except two. My neighbor kindly gave me the worcestershire sauce and onion I needed, and it turned out rather delicious! I thought about getting buffalo meat at the market, and this probably would have been good with that... but beef worked just as well.



In addition to stew, I made a Tarte Tatin for the first time in ages. It wouldn't flip over, but it is still delicious. So my low-key weekend continues with apple tart a la française, a glass of cabernet, and Red Sox up by 1. I'm also back to working on my cashmere stole, now that it's cold enough that I wish I had it finished already. Perfection.

Last week I went to a book sale at my work- lots of interesting items were to be had, in addition to a lot of cheap books. This was my literary haul:


Notice the spinning book? And the gorgeous Quilts of Provence book is not only a subject I care a great deal about, having lived in Aix-en-Provence... but it is also a signed copy.


I also purchased some gifts, and the best salt and pepper shakers ever. Smiling sheep!

October-land

I am so pleased with the Red Sox. Huzzah! And I was even home to watch the game this evening, which is a super bonus.

I was not feeling very well today (in fact, quite the opposite), but I was able to recover from my sniffles and hoarse throat and so forth enough to sew like mad. I've been pretty successful! I finished the petticoat for my costume. Is it sad if this is my second petticoat- I guess now I have one in black as well as white. I also made the poodle skirt- because, yes. Jess was totally right, and I'm going as a 50s chickie. I have not added the applique yet, however, and I think I still need to cut off at least 2 inches of the skirt. 5 inches off was apparently insufficient, I am so darn short. The applique... should be interesting. It is not a poodle.

The 50s costume is particularly appropriate because it will match my new specs. They are pretty spiffy. Let's just not discuss how bad my old prescription was, or how suddenly I can see people's faces again. And read alarm clocks. Now I know- if I can't read the alarm clock from bed WITH the glasses on, they really need new lenses.

Hope that I feel better tomorrow. I am feeling rotten mentally as well as physically, for skipping out on the numerous things I was supposed to do today (volunteering this morning, seeing Fools & Horses tonight, hanging out with friends). I didn't even manage laundry. Sewing is a pretty good feeling-sick activity, actually- it is very distracting, and requires you to get up and down a fair bit but doesn't actually make you move too much. I finally got a folding cardboard cutting mat to put on the kitchen table, so I didn't even have to cut everything out on the floor. This may cause me to sew more in future.

One final note about this sewing stuff... the Athena is definitely still dead. Very very dead. On the plus side, I pulled out my Rocketeer, and it is working like a champ. Maybe I'll try quilting tomorrow, since all work stopped on my Storm at Sea when the Athena went kablooey last month...

Getting Ready for Halloween

I need two Halloween costumes this year. One needs to be sweat-friendly, because my sister and I are running a 5k together in Dayton. This will be my first 5k (and possibly only my second time running with anyone besides myself!)... so I'm scared, but excited. And I'll probably walk a fair bit, since I'm not exactly training as hard as I could desire. No matter. This first costume, for running, is apparently going to be a somewhat naughty pirate costume. Including fishnets. My sister picked it out- she's going to be a "naughty nurse" which is fitting for a new RN. Neither costume should be overly risque... after all, we'll have our running clothes on underneath!

My second costume should be equally entertaining. It's not finished yet. And by not finished, I mean not started. But it includes the following materials:

Hot pink felt
black tulle
black net
black lining fabric
various small felt pieces
black sweater
white button-down shirt
black stockings

Any guesses as to what it could be? I'll give a few bonus hints over the weekend.

I will get to wear this costume to a party on the 25th, and again after the run on the 31st. I'm very excited to get to wear it twice!

Playing Tourist

This was a week full of birthdays. While celebrating a good birthday on Saturday, there was a lot of museum-going. I love playing tourist in DC- it's just so easy to do. We started at the Jim Henson exhibit, which was closing this past weekend. It was delightful to see the old advertising videos and muppets (Mahna Mahna!). After that, we wandered to the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Museum of Natural History- and we also checked out the butterfly exhibit and the soil exhibit. Who knew dirt could be so entrancing? Good times. We ended at the American Art Museum and Portrait Gallery, up near Gallery Place, for the Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe exhibit. That last one just opened a few weeks ago, and I highly recommend it! It was stunning. I think I was focused a lot more on the paintings than my birthday companion, but then I'm less of the photographer.

All this tramping around, playing tourist, was fun. But one of the highlights of the day was an unexpected music and dancing extravaganza going on at the Kogod Courtyard inside the American Art Museum. The Carnaval del Corazon Rhythm performance was pretty entertaining to encounter by mistake.





We also saw the butterfly garden, between the Natural History museum and the Sculpture Garden.



But after a busy busy weekend, all I wanted in the world was some quiet knitting time. I'm finally moving along on Mystery Stole 4!



The pearl beads are showing up much nicer than the clear ones did. I think this will be a lovely stole.

Ah, google 2001...

This is the most entertainment I've had in the last five minutes. Google Searching like it's 2001

It did remind me of this. Was I really this young in 2001? My school page from UMBC.

Obviously, that was my pre-knitting stage. I didn't pick up the pointy sticks until senior year of college. This is why I have one trillion works in progress- I'm making up for lost time!

I was at the Jenny Lewis show at the Sixth and I historic synagogue downtown tonight. It was darling, but for the cranked A/C. It is darn cold out, why on earth did we need it to be even colder inside! Jenny, of course, was as hot and brilliant as ever. She makes me want to get out the guitar and sing. Or just be an amazingly cute redhead. So right- guitar.

I was at Sixth and I a few months ago for a kaballah class, and of course I'm going there for the *FREE* High Holy Day services. It is an amazing sanctuary, and I feel quite blessed to be able to pray there. Did I mention that it is also free? There was something strange and disturbing about watching a rock show from the pews, however.

I'm so glad it will be cold and I can justify wearing a shawl tomorrow... there are definite perks to being a knitter. I might even add a funky hat from the 60s, depending on my level of bravery. If I do, I will most certainly post pics! I sometimes question my degree of fashion relevance to the 21st century, but I'm mainly ok with dressing oddly. It's normally a lot harder to get away with at work (what with the suits four days a week), but my company is participating in Denim Day and this will my first time legitimately wearing jeans to work in three years!

Definitely with a hat and shawl. I may be in jeans instead of a suit, but I still need to look put together.