What a wonderful week it has been! Snow pelted us for two days and we have been snowed in for a week! Many people think it is smart to stay home than get hair done when the roads are horrible! I don't disagree! Thus, I have knitted a lot this week and finished my sweater sleeves. I took my future (very near future) mother-in-law's advice and knitted both sleeves on the round to make sure they are exactly the same length! It worked great!
Courtney, my 18 year old who lives at home, had her friends over. Sarah, Austin, John. And to my surprise asked me to teach them to knit! It was Austin first. Then John and finally Sarah! I love to knit and it is so fun to share my love with others! I hope they love it too. Don't give up Sarah! You will get it!
I remember how awkward it was trying to hold so many things at once and praying the yarn would go where I wanted it to! I got to share yarn with them from my yarn stash! Lonely skeins that would otherwise just sit there!
Not only have I gotten to share my love of knitting but with really wonderful kids!

Pink Bandannas AND Knitting?

Let me introduce you to my sweet man, Steven! We are in the process of growing his hair out for Locks of Love and it is driving him crazy! Thus, the bandanna. He has infinitely more gorgeous hair than I. Some things in life are just not fair! It is thick and shiny. Grows at lightning speed. This hairdressers dream! He is my dream in every way! We spent Sunday with Carl and Karen laughing and eating and just hanging out! It really was fun! He and Carl are so alike in so many ways it it kind of freaks me out. Don't get me wrong he is my next favorite guy in the world. We have been like siblings for years! His wife Karen and I marveled at the "boys" alikeness!

You must understand, I have been single for a very long time with bouts of terrible men here and there. Carl and Karen have been very supportive but were a bit nervous with my dating yet another probable bad choice. Only, I didn't pick Steven. One of my very best friends, Kelly, and her husband Chris picked him for me. An arranged marriage of sorts. Laughing to myself! I was so gun shy in the men department after the breakup before (long before) Steven that Kelly and Chris (who has been Steven's best friend forever) were very stealth about getting us together. That story is for another blog as I love detailed stories. That being said, all of my friends thought, "Great! Another bad relationship!" But to their surprise Steven is wonderful and we laugh all the time. Big sigh of relief from the Pam camp!

These are our dogs, Sophie and Belle. Mutt and Jeff to be sure! Belle thinks she is the boss! Sophie humors her. They fell asleep while we worked on hobbies!

This is Steven before we bought the white and black bandannas! Yes, he is knitting. He wanted to learn a year ago Christmas. It totally shocked and awed me. I think this is the day I knew he was totally the one! I have never had a guy that was interested in my hobbies! He very quickly taught himself how to argyle working with four balls of yarn at once. I lovingly refer to him as "the knit snob". Of course it is because I am jealous! I am currently working on a sweater for myself even though I have hair now. I still get cold. (shaved my head when a friend and client lost hers to breast cancer.)

Steven would like me to note that he does not wear the pink bandanna any more because he has a more manly one now. I just had to post the picture anyway! With him knitting and all! While he was knitting I painted several new cards that I can't post yet since the birthdays haven't happened yet. I will probably do house work so that I can spend the afternoon knitting! Yea!

Sunday Brunch Rut Killer!

This is the card I painted for one of my soon to be nieces, Emory! What great girls! Her birthday is this month! I painted more pictures in an effort to get organized like my sister who always buys cards for everyone in January and files them away to send them on time. I may actually do it this year. I sent Emory's today! Can't wait to give Taylor, my sister-in-law to be hers. I need to still make one for Steven and his twin, Andrew!
Everyone playing Super Mario Brothers on Wii! What a blast that game is!

Steven needing a nap after engorging during brunch!

Alyssa being goofy over Karen's pie!

This is Zack enjoying Karen's pie!

This is the finished product for the cooking together project! We made broccoli with lemon and Parmesan, tomato and basil with mozzarella salad bruchetta, and Chicken Pamalama...ie...skillet chicken breasts in a chicken and Dijon mustard sauce with lemon and herbs. The salad is baby spinach with grapefruit sections and toasted almonds. This picture is before Carl got seconds then thirds after Steven's seconds and my thirds! Good thing I ran on the treadmill because after all that Karen made lemon pie!!

Me multi tasking. Grapefruit in one hand and tossing almonds in the other! Whew!

I can't remember why I had to hold the grapefruit while I did that.

This is me showing Karen how to make the chicken and sauce.

By the way, my hair is blonde and not grey as the picture would imply. Except the pink and blue in my fauxhawk of course. That is what happens when hairdressers get bored at work! Thanks Kelly! I love it!

Well, I have gotten down the whole uploading pictures thing. Now I just need to learn how to get them in the right order! I need to take a moment to laugh at myself....ok.

Chicken Pamalama

Chicken Breasts-boned and skinned

1 Shallot

3 cloves garlic

about 2 cups chicken broth

2 heaping tablespoons flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

thyme

basil

flat leaf parsley

1 lemon

olive oil

Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and heat over med. high heat till hot.

Pat chicken breast dry with a paper towel so they will brown slightly when added to hot oil.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and basil.

Add to pan.

Brown slightly on both sides.

Add shallot and minced garlic for about 2 minutes till soft.

Sprinkle in flour and stir for about a minute to cook flour or it will taste raw.

Pour in Chicken broth.

Stir well to remove any lumps.

Bring to a boil.

Lower heat to low and continue to simmer until thick and reduced some.

Add lemon juice. Half a lemon or more to taste.

Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad for Bruchetta

Fresh Mozzarella

3 Tomatoes seeded and chopped

basil to taste. I like a lot.

Salt and pepper.

Olive oil. About 2 Tablespoons.

Chop cheese and tomatoes about the same size.

Add spices and olive oil.

Toss and heap on toasted french bread cut in half inch slices.

Rub bread with a raw garlic clove (skin removed) while it is hot from the oven before topping with salad.

This is a big hit with all of my family and friends. Also my favorite! Steven and I can eat a batch by ourselves. No problem! This is obviously why I treadmill a lot! I love the cheese and bread. For a bit of extra punch I add a palm full of grated Parmesan. Parmesan makes the world a better place!

The Spinach Grapefruit Almond Salad is just that. I put 3 sectioned grapefruit in a bowl allowing the juice to go into the bowl. Topped with spinach and toasted almond which I did in a dry pan on medium heat. Watch them closely or they will burn quick! Salt and pepper to taste. I added some poppy seed dressing but we all decided it would be great also without. So, next time I will add olive oil, salt and pepper to grapefruit juice to make a vinaigrette.

If you haven't tried broiling broccoli, you should. Drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice and Parmesan. Broil for about 15 minutes under a low broiler on bottom rack. It will start to caramelize and brown the cheese. I got this idea from my daughter Britney! MMM...Hope this helped the rut, Jill!

Today for brunch, Steven and I will be going to some dear friends house. I will be cooking to teach them some simple things they can do to keep their food from being boring but still be healthy!
Have you ever gotten into a food rut? I hate that! Flavor doesn't have to be fattening! I like strong flavors and transforming things from bland to bold! I will publish again with pictures later today! MMMMM....

Was that a compliment?

Society today speaks so much of political correctness. Personally, I may not fit into this category as a whole. My favorite quote is by Dr. Seuss. "Be who you are and say what you feel because the people who mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind." Believing in one's self and having a healthy self confidence is important to me. Also, Einstein said, "The true definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again expecting different results." Having said that...
Why isn't it alright to tell someone who is overweight things such as, "Gosh, your back end looks like it has grown to the size of a dumpster truck. Maybe you should lose some weight?" I would never say things like this to someone struggling with their self image for reasons unknown to me! I knew a woman who looked obese. I know her situation well. She suffers from a disease that causes her tissue to store fluid in her abdomen and legs. She was miserable and near suicidal. She receive surgery that helped so much! She now is able to get around well and isn't burdened with the excess weight the fluid caused. I am so happy for her to be free to live a better life. Before I knew anything about her issues I looked at her with love and for who she was not what she looked like. I do not like to judge or be presumptuous about things I know not of! It may shock you but I know very little and recognize this about myself.
On the other end of the spectrum is people who are skinny. I believe that curves make a woman beautiful. After having three daughters, my "curves weighed in at 165 pound. I started my pregnancies at a whopping 90 pounds. I am 5'1" tall. My frame is small. So, 165 pounds was tough to carry. I had lost a small amount of this first baby weight. Then came daughter number two. Another 65 pounds. Then daughter number three. Several years went by and I deiced I didn't like being so tired. So unhealthy. So unhappy in my own skin. "I have the power to change this" I thought. So I started eating healthier while exercising six days a week. Living in Alaska I mountain biked, played soft ball, skied and did step aerobics.
Now after 15 years I have kept the weight off by continuing my healthy lifestyle. I run and walk in intervals. I am very active. I love eating so I am careful what I choose to eat and when I know I would like a dark beer or two I adjust my meals accordingly. I have made a lifetime goal to like who I am and make decisions I will not regret.
Back to the original issue. I have been met with statements like, "You are too skinny, you need to gain weight!" (I am on the high end of the healthy weight for my height and have gained weight in muscle by exercising by the way) "Do you eat enough?" "Are you sick because you are really skinny!" These comments are not to be confused with ones that are spoken with love and concern by people who mean to be protective of me. These particular comments are said with twisted expressions and furrowed brows. Wrinkled noses and squinting eyes. Contempt are the fuel by which they are propelled.
To say the least these comments are hurtful and mean. They are NOT compliments. They are angry and sad. I struggle with them. Parts of me would like to say, "If you want what I have do what I did to get it!" I usually just walk away. Ignorance is no excuse but I don't think these people realize why they are even commenting in the first place.
So cyberspace, if you come across someone who is thin...don't automatically assume they are anorexic or bulimic. That they have an eating disorder at all. Maybe, just maybe, they have worked really hard to love themselves enough to be healthy. Work hard enough to make a different life for themselves and continue the work to keep it! Backwards is no direction I ever want to go! If you want to compliment someone who is thin here are some suggestions... You sure are beautiful. What a lovely person you are. Your energy and enthusiasm sure are contagious! Your presence makes this room bright!
Beauty is completely from within. I want to have such a beautiful inner being that it shines outwardly and impacts the world around me. Now I just have to work on my attitude about the ignorance of those around me. I must not judge. I must love them anyway. That is who I am. I have control over what I believe and how I feel!

I am on a learning curve!

I have wanted to be able to post pictures in my blog. I know that this is probably and easy thing to do but alas...it has eluded me. I really don't know if posting the pictures will be hard. I mostly have trouble getting the pictures to my computer from my camera. Then...being able to find them if I do.

Today may be my day! I have successfully gotten said pictures onto my computer. Now I have to try and post some. Wish me luck! (Luck: 1. The chance happening of adverse or fortunate events. 2. Good fortune or prosperity: SUCCESS. I might mention that I have a compulsion to look up ordinary words and find out their total meaning. A hobby of mine or obsessions I can't tell which!)

Oh look, I've done it! Wow. That wasnt hard at all! Look out, blogger world, I am going to be picture crazy!!!

This is a picture of a cake I sold to a friend for her grand daughter.

Also, pictures of BrieAnna and Trinity, my grand daughters, on Christmas morning with their cupcake hats that "Santa" knitted.

Then there are the pictures of the failed carmelized onions...My daughter Britney in the newly cleaned shed that we share. We also shared the work yesterday. We had fun. The other picture of Britney is making our butternut squash, apple, onion soup. It is delicious and makes tons so we share the work and time. Then the soup. I like to take it to work for lunch!

Ok, it is time to preview and post. Let me see how it turned out!

Hankering For Hot Dogs

Have you ever had a hankering' for something to eat? Ever felt like something in particular? My sweet Steve says no but I have caught him a few times saying, "I sure want such and such....". I replied, "Do you mean you FEEL like having such and such?"
Today we were watching a particular food channel that has a show called, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. They were focusing on fried food. Because I am a Southerner, I loved the topic. I am not as bad as Paula Deen or anything. I do try to eat health and all. But, they had fried hot dogs that really peaked my interest! I wanted to go to the store right away but displayed a serious amount of self control. This is shocking for me but I am trying to save money for our impending wedding in April.
I don't know if it is because I am a woman that I have such longings for certain foods or just because I love to cook. I love to create some wonderful dish and then eat it...watch others enjoy it!
I am thinking I am going to have to make hot dogs for dinner tomorrow or at least in the near future!
To put emotions of food is a completely reasonable thing in my opinion. We eat with our eyes, smell the food cooking, touch the finished product. So why not feel like eating it? Why waste time eating things that do not inspire us? Or waste time cooking things that aren't as desirable as they could be? Nourishment can be creative and fun! Thus says the hobby queen! So it must be true right?

What Happened to the Back of My Eyelids?

I have an internal alarm clock that has super powers. I never use an alarm because I am an early riser. If I need to be up for any reason I just tell myself what time and then wake up about thirty minutes before that. While this super hero power of mine is cool (because the noise the alarm makes causes me to turn into the villain in any comic book) I sometimes wish I could sleep in on a Sunday. This "gift" even works for others. My future brother-in-law mentioned being up by 5:30 when we were visiting them in Seattle so I woke up at Texas 5:30 AND Seattle 5:30.
Lately, I have not been sleeping well. I go to sleep easily and then wake up about 2:00 or 3:00. makes for long days and early bedtimes as I require about 8 hours of sleep. I won't take anything prescription. I very often do not do well with the side effects. My friend, Kelly, gave me some vitamins that have calcium and other things that relax muscles and help her to sleep well. I took all three doses yesterday in the attempt to sleep better. They don't smell like prenatal vitamins. This is good. I can't do it if they do because I wretched them for months while pregnant with my oldest daughter! All of this brought me hope and fond thoughts of sleeping in till at least 8:00 this morning!
I did not wake up at 2:00 or 3:00. I did wake up at 5:00. I know I should be very glad that I slept much more soundly than I have in the last months or so but I am pouting like our dog, Sophie, when she thinks we should give her attention and we don't do it! Her face is pitiful sad and her eyes say how mistreated she is for lack of attention! If she could shed a tear I know she would in a heartbeat!
Laying awake I decided to stay in bed as a way of rebellion to sleeplessness. I rebelled until about 7:30. I could no longer take it as my eyes hurt from trying to keep them shut! So...I am now awake and drinking my much beloved coffee.
I have decided to continue to take the vitamins thinking that maybe once they are really in my system I will be able to sleep all night. It really seems to me I am discussing a baby or small child who the parents are praying sleeps all night so they too can get the much needed full night of sleep. As I find this mildly amusing I mostly want to wake up feeling rested and refreshed! I fight irritability much of the time from fatigue. Poor Steven.
The things I think while lying awake are vast. Lists of things to do for the next day, does Steven's sister really hate me, do I really care (yes), how many people are actually going to be at the wedding and will this be irritating to Steven, will I have to have a deposit for the location I will be visiting after daylight? Mostly no answers and more questions come. How can I get my 18 year old daughter to pick up after herself and keep the bathroom door closed so that the dogs will not feast in the ever overflowing trash can? Is she deaf? Will hearing aids help? I mean, her mother has hearing loss and maybe she got it too?! The list is endless.
I will exercise today. It will improve my attitude. I have begun to dread bedtime and so in an effort to be more positive I will look forward to tonight. I will relax and enjoy the sleep I get. I will pray that I do get to see the back of my eyelids for a solid 8 hours!!

Ater all that good practice!?

I got such good scores in practice throwing darts yesterday to find out it was a bi-week. Now this doesn't mean that our darts are bi-sexual but that we didn't play after all until next week! Bummer! I will keep practicing though so that I might even win in 301 and Cricket. These are two games I play. You may not be familiar with darts so here is a crash course. The outer ring on the board is doubles. If I throw a dart in the outer ring on 20...you guessed it...40 points. The big area is single. Just 20. Then there is the most elusive inner small ring which is triple. You are so smart because you are catching on that that is 60. 301 is a game that insists you double in to reduce the 301 points and after that is nearly accomplished one must double out exactly! There are thousands of double out options and because I can do most anything BUT math I must rely on my teammates to help me know unless I end up with the dreaded double 1!! This happens often as I am only in my second season! Cricket is one of my favorite games. One must throw three each of 20-15 and 3 bulls eyes. I can also score points if I have a number closed with three darts already and you don't. I really enjoy it because it is also a strategy (I most always say stragedy due to lexdixia) game!.
Because it was a bi-week I ended up with an alternate hobby. I tried out a new recipe! Tomato and goat cheese tarts. They were delicious except I must practice caramelizing onions! Mine were well done. Took a picture of them but have yet to download it to the computer. That is my project this weekend!
Off to do hair! Must pay my taxes! I am nearly debt free! I totally forgot to mention that little hobby. I know it isn't really a hobby but it makes me feel better to think of it that way! Attitude is everything!

My rock went missing?!!!

I have said before that I am engaged to the most wonderful man ever! It is true girls! Today I had the worst experience EVER in the salon. I am the hairdresser for the record. I look down starting my first clients hair....plop the mousse on top of her head to first notice that the diamond on my engagement ring is completely gone. Prongs and all! At this point I get dizzy, nearly throw up, curb the constant cussing that is banging against the back of my lips, nearly in tears! I am NOT this girl! I am not emotional or cry easy. I do cuss easy to the Lord's dismay! Glad he loves me anyway! I start the finders prayer in my mind....Lord, you know where my beautiful diamond is and I ask you to keep it safe until you show me where it is...when June says, "maybe it is in your pocket dear...". AND IT WAS!! Thank you thank you thank you Jesus!!! I can't believe the answer came so fast but he knows the cussing would ensue quickly as he knows me so well! I tried to be self controlled but it is very difficult to control totally panic! Steve was wonderful about it and said it could be fixed! Yea!
Harrowing times over it is dart night! In practice I shot a ton 40 which is 140 points in three darts...let's see if I can do that in an actual game tonight! Wish me luck cyberspace!

New Hobby Education

Now that I have started the blog hobby I am going to need an education about how to follow others blogs. I tried to follow one and without luck. Maybe I need my computer genius to show me when he gets home. I am sure it is simple but I tend to make things harder than they have to be! What fun would life be without an adventure here and there? And in my case...everyday is an adventure! I like being challenged and not knowing it all! The hunt is part of the fun! Mastering a new skill is fascinating and challenging! Sometimes frustrating. What has been said is true! Necessity IS the mother of invention! So, on with my day. I am sure I will find other things to occupy my time. After work today I want to knit or read or cook or exercise. We will see which one wins out!

Too Many Ideas...So Little Time

I have to say that the idea of a blog has long eluded me. Now I think it may be my newest hobby! I have so many. Knitting, cooking, decorating cakes, dancing, darts, shooting guns and my newest. Exercise. I love words and have kept a journal my thoughts for years. What a fun way to do it...in a blog! My thoughts tend to be random and it may be hard for you (if anyone ever reads this) keep up! I am working on a sweater for myself. I play darts on a league with my fiance. Danced with friends Saturday night till I was sore. I wouldn't consider this an exhaustive list of hobbys but it is a start. There are always joys and downfalls with them all! I cirtainly have learned my share of lessons when trying something new but really enjoy the exilleration of the journey every time! My fiance is very supportive of my hobbys as I am of his! He is the reason I play darts. I even beat him once even though he says I just won and hadn't beaten him at all. I must tell the truth that it only took me about ten thousand games to do so and he may have been coming down with the flu or ailment of some sort! I am not great at darts but really love to play! I even my friend hooked and she is our rookie this season! He learned to knit. He is a great student and in the last year has taught himself how to arguile like a pro. We shoot together. Good thing we like each other as we spend all our time together. He and I also play computer games online with his brother who live far away. So, you can immagine the headset broadcasting the Skype so we can all chat hands free! We are much the geeks! I love it!! I will share thoughts and experiences along my journey of life while "hobbying" and you can come along for the ride! Welcome.