Saturday morning walk, Women's marches, thoughts on actvism

Cricket and I took a nice walk yesterday.  The weather was beautiful.  Very warm & sunny, especially for mid-January.

Looking downhill from the Hobbit House to the property line.

Looking uphill from the property line to the Hobbit House.

The Hobbit House is difficult to see... If you look just left of this big rock, you can see the window opening.  When the leaves are on the trees, it's all but invisible.

Several of my spinning friends participated in the Women's March in Bellingham, WA yesterday.  All these ladies are strong advocates of women's rights.  All are professional women.  They all have raised an family while working.  We've known each other for years.  I love these ladies, and was marching right along with them in spirit.  I hope they felt me there.

 We've done so many projects together; yarn for knitters in Bosnia, donations to the Heifer Society, charity knitting, teaching kids.  And we did these projects because it felt right, not for any recognition.  That's exactly how I prefer it. Doing something because it's the right thing to do.  Paying it forward.

As I look back on my life, I realize that I've always been an activist.  Not a pushy, loud activist.  More a feed the hungry kind of activist.  Help those in need - 2 legged or 4. I've always tried to make sure the kids in my extended family had what they needed.  My winter knitting/crochet projects are an example.

In a way, I saw my time in the Navy as activism also.  Doing what needed to be done.  I guess that's why I got a Human Services degree once I was out of the Navy.  I'd always wanted to be a nurse.  I was on the waiting list in Washington.  But I got the degree I did before my name even came up on the nursing list.  I guess I wasn't meant to be a nurse.

Two people who have always inspired me are Mahatma Ghandi & the Dahli Lama.  They both saw their nations exploited, their countrymen (and women) abused.  And they both worked for change without resorting to violence.

Kidney stones

I had follow-up appointment with Dr Emery, the urologist, last Wednesday the 30th, in Cherokee Village.  I had to get an x-ray of my kidneys before the appointment.

He's a very good doctor.  Professional, friendly and very thorough.  The x-ray revealed I once again have a large kidney stone in my left kidney. I was scheduled for  lithotripsy  (Kidneystones shockwave treatment ) in Batesville yesterday.  I had to get another x-ray prior to the procedure. Everything went well.  We stopped at The Pill Box in Highland (Davis Drug Store Inc ) to pick up some medications and arrived home safe and sound.

Now I just have to pass the pieces....  Fun, fun, fun!

I've been knitting away on my Christmas list. Hats for Children's Hospital, Knititng for Noggins. Knitting for Noggins

I got the slippers for my nieces finished & mailed off.  Sadly, Nevaeh's are too small.  So I'll be making her another pair.

I also ordered yarn from Knit Pics (Knit Picks.com) to crochet a blanket for Nevaeh.  I'm not sure how it happened, but she never got a baby blanket.  So now she'll be getting a big girl blanket.  Nevaeh's sick a lot, she has a compromised immune system (e-coli infection from contact with her dad's turtles).  I know when I don't feel well I always want to cuddle up in my blanket.  I'll be adding all the love and care I can into this one for her.  I'll make her slippers that fit with this same yarn.  I added this project to my Ravelry queue.  Nevaehs pink blanket

Knitting for the family

Every year, I stress my self out trying to knit or crochet something special for the members of my extended family.  I really believe Christmas is for the kids. The little ones are the ones I try to focus on.

My nieces and nephews are all grown up now.  My step kids are too.  My granddaughter, Ariel, turns 14 today.  WOW!  That doesn't seem possible.  My niece, Tricia, has 2 little girls; Nevaeh and Revan.  I'm crocheting slippers for them right now.

I made Ariel some special socks, 1 pair just because, and 1 for her birthday.  I'm working for a pair of socks for Tammy (my step daughter), for Christmas.  I will also try to get a pair of socks made for Tammy's partner Rickie.

I also knit hats on my knitting looms, which I send to Children's Hospital in Little Rock.  I really love sending hats of all sizes.  All those sick little ones need a nice warm hat.  A good hat in cold weather makes everyone feel better.

I knitted several hats and a scarf before I went to PA this month.... I recently finished a huge crocheted afghan, Mandala Madness, which I am keeping for myself.  I rarely keep anything I make, I like giving my handmade items to people I love.

Mandala Madness

I track most of my projects with Ravelry.  My username is PennyTeem.  You can check out what I'm working on, if you're interested.

I am still weaving dishtowels with the pattern Ariel used over the summer.  I finished and passed out 4 all ready.  I have 4 more on the loom, and will probably have enough warp for 3 more.

Ariel weaving on a jack loom for the first time

I knitted/crocheted Nevaeh & Revan some stuffed animals earlier in the year.  They really love them. Revan will not sleep without her giraffe.

Nevaeh's hippo

Revan's giraffe

Dang, it's been cold

Cold, wintry weather made a brief stop by earlier this week.  The mercury dipped down to 15F several nights in a row.  We even had snow.  That's very odd for Arkansas!

Today, it's a bit warmer.  It's 39F right now and we're supposed to have rain most of the day with a high of 45.  Cold and dreary weather.  A good day to stay in, bake some bread and make a pot of soup.  Potato soup, I think.  Yeah.  That sounds good.  I have a new bread recipe to try, Peasant bread.  It rises faster than the sourdough I've been making....

Potato Soup

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
2. Cook celery and onion in reserved bacon drippings until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Return bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. In a separate pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon, and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Peasant bread

Yield: 8 servings
 

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
All-purpose flour, for dusting

Directions

Combine the bread flour, whole-wheat flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees F) and mix with your hands or a spoon until the dough comes together (it will be wet and sticky).  ( If you have extra time, refrigerate 12 to 24 hours; this is not necessary but will improve the flavor of the bread).

Let the dough rise, covered, at room temperature for about 3 hours; this rise is necessary whether you refrigerate the dough first or not. The surface will be bubbly after rising.

Generously dust a work surface with all-purpose flour. Turn the dough out onto the flour, then sprinkle flour on top. Fold the top and bottom of the dough into the center, then fold in the sides to make a free-form square. Use a dough scraper or a spatula to turn the dough over, then tuck the corners under to form a ball.  Generously dust with flour. Cover with a cotton kitchen towel (do not use terry cloth) and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 2 to 3 hours.

Position a rack in the bottom of the oven and place a 2- or 4-quart cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven (without the lid) on the rack. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F for at least 30 minutes. When the dough has doubled, carefully transfer the hot pot to a heatproof surface. Uncover the dough, quickly invert the dough into the pot (shake the pot to center the dough, if necessary). Cover with the lid and bake 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until brown and crusty, 15 to 30 more minutes. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
 

Courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/no-knead-peasant-bread-recipe.html?oc=linkback

I've started on my charity knitting for this year.  I have 20 hats done.  I'm working on a baby blanket too, but I don't like how it's coming out so I think I'll unravel it and start again.  I think I'll do a mosaic type blanket with it.  Yeah.  That will make a good blanket for the bright colors in this yarn.