Berlin's Whimsy

Silly.

I needed a laugh today. This supplied it... Will Ferrell's my man!

Skipping along.

My creativity has passed through phases of intense focus---- learning new techniques and mastering intricate designs--- and then other phases of just coasting, enjoying what is and appreciating the creative foundation I've already set.

I have dived down into the depths of technique while knitting cables or teaching myself to master bread baking (there have been so many outlets for my much required creativity) but on the flip-side I also need simplicity, too, like the rhythmic and zen-like quality of knitting stockinette.

I don't feel that I'm coming up with anything amazing or intricate right now. Rather, I'm spinning up other artist's imaginations in painted wool and fiddling around with the obvious beauty that comes out the other side, knitting up handspun swatches and enjoying the colors that play out in stitches. This kind of knitting is fun for me. Knitting up hats, embellishing them, dreaming about other things, spinning wool in the sunshine.... Nothing new under the sun here, but enjoyable all the same.

***I once belonged to a book club that had the tendency to choose deep "women's" books----you probably know the genre, Anne Lamotte (love her), Barbara Kingsolver, and Amy Tan (love them all). When it came time for another member of the group to choose our monthly book, he chose a dark and violently meaningless tale. I think he chose it purposefully to force a collective gasp amongst our members---a kind of literary slap. The night we discussed his book, another one of our members was missing. A creative and sensitive young man, that member didn't read all of the book. Our host, the one that chose the book, tried to explain his friend's reaction to our monthly book. I don't remember all of the description he supplied about the young man but I remember this part: some of us skip along the tops of the waves of the ocean (life) and some of us dip and dive into each crest and each trough, feeling each and every one, deeply.

That description has always stuck with me because I relate to it. I spend quite a lot of my life feeling each rock and roll---each crest and trough. When I can allow myself to skip along the crests without too much introspection, too much questioning, it's a good thing----it's a bit of a respite for my creative soul...  Simplicity in color is the speed I'm at right now, skipping along those crests with a smile...

Tales from the Coop. Week 4.

Who needs television when you have chickens? Seriously, I never realized how entertaining chickens are----pull up a seat and you'll witness face offs, melodrama, frantic chases around the chicken yard, new feathers changing the way they look daily... Chickens constantly provide a laugh with their distinct personalities. When we brought our chicks home we were planning on eggs but we had not idea of the entertainment we were in for! So much fun!

This is Fancy Feet, a Silky Bantam. We're not sure if Fancy Feet is a male or female. We think he's a male. Fancy Feet is a Silky and also an expert at nabbing food. They all love dandelions and when we throw one into the pen a chicken grabs it up and starts running with a frantic look on her face----where to go? Where can she go to secretly devour this succulent morsel in private? Ah, but there's no such place in the chicken pen! All the other chickens give chase and it's usually Fancy Feet that plucks the treasure from that panicked chicken. Sigh, denied again.

This is Pie, a Frizzle (sorry Pie, this isn't the most flattering image of you)! Again, we're not sure of Pie's sex----and I'm not sure where the name came from, either. Pie bosses the other chickens around, running up to them and facing them down. Pie also performs tricks: jumping like a frog and fluffing out her/his feathers. Pie's also the friendliest of the bunch, allowing the kids to pet him/her willingly.

This is Macho, a Leghorn. Macho is a hen but no matter, the kids named her Macho because of her taller comb and Macho attitude. She is the bravest--- and I suspect smartest---- of the bunch. She's always the first to catch ants and to run out the door in the morning.

And speaking of ants, did you know chickens like to eat biting ants (the kind that sneak up your bare leg in the summer while you're hanging up clothes on the clothesline and bite the begeesus out of you)?! Well, our plucky little chickens chase them around and gobble them up----a wonderful trait, indeed! The chicken coop is right next to an anthill-----mmmm, breakfast!

**Want to view more chickens? Check the flickr group: Nobody Here But Us Chickens... Lots of fun photos there.

**Want to order your own chickens? Check McMurray Hatchery. They also provide information about chicken breeds and raising your own flock.

Honoring Mothers.

Some friends call it a "Hallmark Holiday." (You know who you are)!

So, what is Mother's Day really about? Is it a manufactured day to make up for all the other days we take Mothers for granted? I agree with the argument that we should honor our Mothers every day of the year, not just on a day designated by the calendar--that would be ideal----but we don't always do that. Life happens and the days slip away. I think a day set aside to embrace our Mothers is wonderful.

I'd also like to include the role of Mother, as well. Mother's Day also makes me think about all the Mothers that have been in my life that might not have been Mothers in the true sense of the word. My Great Aunt comes to mind---a woman who never had children of her own but raised oh so many nieces and nephews.

I think of my own wonderful Mom and all the people she has Mothered through the years besides my brother and I, including my "adopted" brother and even my husband. My Step-Mother plays a role of Mother for me. I also think about my neighbor who passed away last fall and how she used to fulfill the role of Mother/Grandmother in my life.

Moms are universal. They cross boundaries of blood kin and legal adoption. They hide out in the roles of Grandmother and our friends' Moms---even wives. They might be your special Auntie or older cousin. Mothers can be anyone and I think that's what Mother's Day is about----honoring the role of Mother, nurturing the nurturer, because they don't always ask for it. This weekend I'll be honoring all the Moms in my life...Happy Mother's Day!

Blooming.

Spun by hand in the spring sun amidst the apple blossoms...

A soak in lavender wash enables the fiber's full bloom...

Blooming in color like the nearby trees. Sigh, the beauty of spring...

Dinner for One...

The bright sun and clear day was a relief after experiencing a fairly bad day yesterday... Too many memories to reevaluate and process, I guess.

Once again, the simplicities in my life brought me around to a more uplifted spirit. Things like spinning wool in the sunshine while watching our little chickens come and go from their delightful chicken coop... Absentmindedly watching swallows dive and dip for bugs---feeling happiness at their return... The smell of the sun warmed wool and watching the colors twist into yarn...  Old shorts pulled out of my summer clothing box and worn comfortably in the warm temperature... New spring sprouts pushing up through the dark soil nearby... 

I ate my dinner on the picnic table in the setting sun. Even though I felt at peace watching the river below the house, I wondered about my kids----felt like more than just my kids were missing. 

I don't know how I am about being alone---I haven't decided. Some people relish in their solitude. I crave more alone time than most, but I also miss my friends and a feeling of connection.... I'm just musing because I know it'll come----the pieces slowly finding a place to settle in my new life.

Sewing Fabric Beads.

For my simple curtains, I used the selvages off white linen for the tie-backs. In fact, I use selvages for many things such as tying up packages or for use in kids' crafts. My kids often turn those selvages into reins for horses or leashes for their softies. Selvages have so many possibilities because of their disposable nature and their strength, too...

After peering at my plain tie-backs, I decided they would look even better with some color contrast so I added fabric beads to the ends. Fabric beads are always my go-to choice for adding that little extra something to a sewn item.

I first learned to make fabric beads from the wonderful book, 'Omiyage' by Kumiko Sudo. If you are interested in making special little sewn items, this book is for you! I've owned my copy for years and I continue to turn to the wonderful projects inside for special gifts for others (hmmm, Mother's Day?!).

Fabric beads are simple to make and are one of those crafts easily done by hand in an evening. They can be added to ties of all sorts (even shoelaces)! Here's how I do it:

#1: Tie a knot in the string to be bound in a fabric bead. Just an overhand knot is fine but make sure it is secure.

#2: Cut off the extra string.

#3: Depending on the size of the knot to be covered, cut out a circle of coordinating fabric. A juice cup works great...

#4: Around the perimeter of the circle, press a small hem under with your fingers (creating a crease).

#5: Now with your thread and needle and leaving a long tail, hem that raw edge down along the crease with a long running stitch which you will use next to gather up your stitches...

#6: Gather up the stitches a little to produce a cup shape to your future bead with the right side of your fabric on the convex (outer) side. Before pulling the gathered stitches tight, add the knot to the inside of the bead and then pull the stitches to enclose that knot.

#7: With the same thread, secure the fabric bead to the string by stitching through the entire bead & string back & forth with small stitches (I used a contrasting thread here for these photos but you should use a thread that matches the bead's fabric). If there is any additional bulk in your gathering, stitch that down, as well. When finished securing the bead to the string, knot the thread and cut off excess.

There you have it----a fabric bead!!

Lead-free. Better Gas Mileage.

The simplest of choices seem to provide more life lessons----more opportunities to grow.

Gas prices are killing me. I realize we in the U.S. have enjoyed a life of luxury as far as gas prices are concerned (compared with other countries), but with my daily commute to my kid's school my minuscule budget is dwindling quickly.

I'm trying to find every little method to stretch my gas mileage.

What can I change? Here are a few proven tips:

• Travel at 55 mph (increases mileage by 25% over 75 mph)!
• Use cruise control
• Make sure tires are properly inflated
• Maintain a clean air filter (increases mileage 10%)
• Use synthetic oil (better lubrication) & keep up with needed maintenance
• Keep car windows closed. Though A/C decreases mpg, the aerodynamic reduction from open windows decreases your mpg more than using your A/C with the windows closed.
• Reduce the weight you're carrying (no this isn't a reason to go on a diet! But hey, that might be next!)
• Remove anything that reduces the aerodynamics of your car (roof racks, etc)
• Slowly accelerate from stops

My step-mom pointed out that in the last gas crisis the public slowed down to increase gas mileage---everyone was trying to do their part. I'm not a speedracer but I do tend to follow along with the crowd on the highway and that crowd travels at quite a high clip.

I wondered what would happen if I set my cruise control at 55 mph. Would I be forced off the road? I knew it offered an opportunity to watch human nature...

And here's where I noticed something about myself... I don't like to displease others---even if those others are anonymous drivers on the highway. That's where the lesson in all of this was for me. I tend to follow along too much. Even the thought of creating an obstacle for other drivers seemed like something I couldn't quite do-----what if all those other drivers honked their horns at me or flipped me off? You see, that pleasing nature of mine runs deep.

But I did it. I'm doing it. When I hit the highway, I set my cruise control at 55 mph and stick to it. It's almost like a little goal of mine. Sure, I get passed like I'm standing still and I definitely witness many sour looks but somehow I relish in my own little personal goal----a goal of sticking to what I want and attempting to reduce my fuel bill, at least a little...

Organizing.

I relish organization. And in an attempt to make navigating around my site a little easier, I added a few links.

Lunches----I haven't been posting about our school lunches much lately but they're still going on behind the scenes. The Lunch link brings you to the photos of our lunches over on Flickr. Once you click on each image, there are notes that describe the food item. At some point, I will direct more of my attention to this subject with some of my hints and do-aheads for our lunch routine...

Cookbook Store----One day, I used a whole lot of time to compile all of the cookbooks I own & favor into this store. Yes, I have a huge cookbook collection!

 

About--- I added some FAQs to this link. I welcome emails and questions and I tried to answer a few of them on that page. Do you have any other questions? Just email me (my email is listed in this link).

Bookstore---This is a link to many of the books we most enjoy. Every week, a veritable tidal wave of books flows through our house from our local library. We have found many treasures this way and I list them within this store. There are a variety of categories there from crafts, knitting, parenting & divorce resources, to Bento lunch accessories & our favorite board games. I try to keep this bookstore updated with our favorites.

Recipes---I'm most pleased about finally putting together a page with all the recipes I've posted over the past year. I didn't categorize them (future project) but I think it's helpful to have them all listed with links that take you directly to the post with the recipe. In fact, I use my blog as a sort of recipe box sometimes and I even found it difficult to find some of my favorites using Typepad's categories. This is much easier... Please tell me if you find a link that is incorrect or not working properly. I also realized that I have not posted as many recipes as I would have liked---I'll start working on that...

So there you have it, a bit of organization! If you have any further suggestions that would make navigating my site easier or more helpful, please let me know!

Mango Coffee Cake.

Coffee & Coffee Cake anyone? C'mon over!

This scrumptious recipe comes by way of one of my Mom's friends at work. After sampling a few scraps of cake that my Mom was so kind enough to share with us peasants at home (ha!), we knew we had to go to the source for the recipe.

When I asked my daughter to help me with making the cake, she asked me if it was a cake kids could eat. I wondered at her question for a bit and finally asked her why she thought this cake wasn't appropriate for kids? "It's COFFEE cake! We don't drink coffee!" Ah yes, I think I remember wondering this same thing as a child. Even as I tasted coffee cake, I wondered how the coffee flavor was somehow hidden within its sugary depths.

Well, once I explained the coffee cake terminology and added the key ingredient to this particular cake----mangoes----my daughter was sold. Mangoes are her favorite!

This cake is not for the sugar wary-----it's packed with the stuff and I think it would probably be just as yummy with less sugar but for this batch (my first) I followed the recipe as written.

Mango Coffee Cake

Makes 12-16 servings

• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 C. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 C. butter, cut into pieces
• 1 C. buttermilk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 C. coarsely chopped, seeded and peeled fresh mango (about 3)
• 1/3 C. sugar (for sprinkling)
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
• Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, 2 C. sugar, baking powder, soda nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture all at once and stir just until moistened. Fold in the chopped mangoes. Spread in prepared pan.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top.

Bake for40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Mango pieces will sink towards the bottom of the cake). Cool a bit before serving.

Have a wonderful weekend!