Elise did another shift of bellringing yesterday at our local grocery store. Being the day before Thanksgiving, it was busy during her whole shift and not just the lunch hour. She brought her violin again and played for much of the time. She also sang and jumped around to Jingle Bells--just a bundle of energy! One woman told us that she'd heard about us on the radio, a little girl playing the violin for the Red Kettles while her mostm sat next to her and knit. That was fun to hear! She is scheduled for one more shift in December, on a Saturday. I think she and Karl should go together and do a few violin duets.

Well, the house is half clean. I don't know whether my standards are lower or it's not as messy as it used to be, but it doesn't seem to take a two-day spree to get the cleanliness level up to visitor status. Maybe it's because the children are old enough to help out more... I spent some time toddler-proofing the living room, which mostly consisted of removing the ceramic pitcher of knitting needles sitting on the floor. We left out the nature table, a basket of yarn balls, some of my handmade dolls, and brought up the blocks and a big puzzle. Haley is allowed to explore everything she can reach now. Yay, toddlers!

Speaking of a cleaning spree, we should probably muck out the basement one of these days. Elise is giving away her American girl dolls this year, and we can only find one of Felicity's shoes. We searched her room and the four boxes of junk she had already hauled to the basement, but haven't found it yet. That basement is a fright, and most of it is my fault. I have basketry supplies strewn over a good portion, and an overflowing table of fabric, baskets of yarn, etc. I think we need more shelving down there...and I need to work from my stash.

Here are Karl and Albin finishing a game of Lunar Rails. It didn't take even take a week! And yes, Elise does spend some time at the computer, too.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

I just plied what has got to be the world's ugliest yarn; however, it was the first time I did Navajo plying, and it actually sort of worked, so a small pat on the back for that. (Navajo plying is a way of taking one strand of yarn and turning it into three-stranded yarn--a very cool process). I was doing something wrong, as it was very hard to keep the wheel going in the right direction, and a piece of the flyer flung off the wheel four times. The third time, Karl was sitting behind me on the couch and it flew all the way over to the dining room. He said, "That can't be good!" (Who knew I'd need my safety glasses?) BUT, I got that bit of yarn off the bobbin, where it had been for over a year, and maybe I can felt it into a cell phone holder, or something.

Karl is in the process of fixing our pictures so we can download them from either computer. I took a few pictures of Elise and a friend making their first snowman of the year which I planned to post yesterday, but couldn't figure out how to move them over to Lappy, as Karl had already downloaded them into the other computer. Ask Albin how frustrated I was about that! So keep an eye out for those in a few days.

Elise is ringing bells at Miller's again this afternoon, then we'd better clean the house a bit. We also have a game of Yahtzee planned for the afternoon...

Karl went to the hardware store yesterday to buy a firepit cover (we can't fit both the firepit and the car in the garage this winter) and a snow shovel...and it's snowing this morning!! The kids are going to be so excited. We are supposed to visit with friends this afternoon. Assuming I can make it there on our newly slick highways, they will probably spend all their time outside. Yay!

I believe the Universe has spoken to me. I stayed home from church to work on the Christmas goodies last night. (It would be nice to get the sewing machine out of the living room before Karl's family comes this weekend.) It was possible to finish the sewing in the three or so hours that I had home alone, but it didn't happen. My fabulous little workhorse of a sewing machine (a vintage Montgomery Ward), broke down in: not one, not two, but three different ways. I gave up after the third incident, which was sounding really bad and broke my needle to boot. I was so mad!

However, my invitation to join Ravelry had arrived a few days earlier, and I hadn't gotten around to...actually joining. Ooooooh! Now I understand why my knitter friends like it so much. I have found my third set of people (homeschoolers and church being my other peeps). I still have a lot to learn about the site, but I have joined four or so swap groups (including coffee and chocolate, and lace knitting), and the discussion groups based on interests in the Victorian era, old time radio, and Tasha Tudor. Aaaah. In fact, I can't think of much more to say here, and I really should take a closer look at the Tasha shawl I saw a pattern for last night...

Elise is getting to be a better logroller. She stayed on for fourteen seconds during Friday's class; that's her personal best!

We borrowed our neighbor's rodent ball to see if Fluffy, Elise's hamster, likes to be in it. She rolls all around the first floor, bumping into chairs, doors, etc., but keeps on going. She had escaped awhile ago, and it took us a few days to notice (we thought she was still sleeping in her peat moss), and a few more to find and catch her. The treats-in-a-bucket trap actually worked. She had made it all the way to the basement without being eaten by our hunter cats. All that to say, we know she likes a bit of freedom, but this ball, I'm sure, is hampering her style. ...Still it's pretty funny to watch her.

Our needle felted creche is coming right along. Albin is almost done with the last king, Karl added a head and legs to the cow, while Elise finished the shepherd (including a crookstaff) and helped me with a few sheep. She also made another angel. It's really turning out.

I picked up my fabulous yarn that I bought from the Sow's Ear Pampered Knitter's show. The artist is Lisa at http://www.carpool.etsy.com/, and she has very nice stuff! I had to buy a ball of roving, too, and told Karl to put it away until my birthday. The yarn was 1200 yards, which I wound on the spot, and then started another Syrian lace shawl from Victorian Lace Today. I have enough to make a large shawl, and then I'll graduate to a trickier scarf with the remainder. I actually got out my spinning wheel the other day, too--the first time I've spun in months.

We also watchedthe Muppet show before bed last night, with Rita Moreno. That is a particularly fine episode. It had the Swedish chef, Martin Scuggs, and good skits with Rita, too. We recommend this one!

We finally have a picture of Albin doing something else besides using the computer! We stopped at the bakery in Stoughton for a drink before going to the library. He was so tired all afternoon. It reminded me of when he was small and we'd carry him around like a sack of potatoes. Of course, he's now bigger than me, so that doesn't work as well. (I tell him: you may be taller than me, but I still weigh more!)

Elise was at one of her last scene study classes. She'll have one more class in two weeks, then the performance. She's really come a long way since the fall. She would come home all worn out and almost cry about practicing her scene. Now she knows it inside and out...has for awhile, actually. We'll see if she'll want to do it again next year (she has such a good acting teacher!) but if she wants a break for a year or two, that would be fine, too.

Elise does gymnastics on Thursday afternoons. We just have time to get home from scene study, change into leotard and grab a snack, and we will be on time for class. I really think we may need to change gyms, though. She is having a lovely time and learning a lot, but I decided last night that the general environment of this gym is best described as toxic. The waiting room is a zoo of people, children yelling at intervals, moms berating their children about homework, etc., that if I didn't have my knitting and Albin's ipod, I wouldn't have lasted three weeks. I can survive with those devices; however, I find the invasive commercialism of the gym offensive. All the kids come out every week with a piece of paper advertising some open gym, drop-off weekend program, etc., for the kids to attend (at additional cost). There is an LED sign above the window of the gym floor, and after her class was over, I read a bit while waiting for her to stand in line for her paper and come out. All I caught was "...sleepover parties. Your kid will love you for it!" I hope my kids love me for the support, encouragement, respect and pure joy in their being that I (and Karl!) have for them, not because I let them go to sleepovers with friends! I understand that the gym has large operating costs, and needs to have as many kids in it as possible, but it still rankles.

We did have good family evening, though, the first we've been together with nothing else going on for a week. Albin was on the couch playing Lego Star Wars, Elise and I needle felted more creche figures, and Karl read more Loamhedge to us. It was lovely!

We had a wonderful day yesterday--at least I did! We went nowhere and had no obligations to fulfill. It was balm to my soul to spend a day at home doing whatever we wanted. We played a rummy tournament (Albin won this time), read some more Loamhedge, and had a leftovers lunch. The children finished their work pretty quickly and had computer time. I blocked the orange shawl I finished last week and started two more knitting projects. I went to the Sow's Ear three times in two hours, a record for me, I think. I bought some beautiful roving from Peace Fleece for the creche we want to make, and Elise and I started that project right away. And all day long, apart from the reading aloud portion, we listened to Christmas music from our old record/radio cabinet. I hope the next six weeks have many more relaxed, enjoyable days like this one!

Elise was able to spend the night at a friend's house, and Albin and Karl went to a planetarium show after dropping her off. Thus, I had time alone the second day in a row to work on the family's Christmas goodies.

Speaking of Christmas, I've been thinking a lot lately on how to have a frugal, simple Christmas, and not rely on material goods for the joy of the season. I read Bill McKibben's article, Hundred Dollar Holiday, a few years ago. Since then, that has always been the goal for which I strive...and fail. Historically, we don't buy presents for the kids, we go to a show together. (This year it will be Riders in The Sky at the Historic Stoughton Opera House.) Our tickets generally cost around $150-$250. The Christmas tree is usually $40 or more, grocery bills are always up for the extra baking and fancier ingredients (gingerbread houses take a lot of candy in our house!). We are different/lucky in that we don't exchange presents with extended family on either side, using that money to set aside time to get together over the summer. We will buy something for my Grandma, but because she is queen of frugality itself, it will be something useful like a grocery or gas card. I may still send her a basket of fun stuff... Anyway, my point being that I don't see how to cut back to $100 without grinching the fun stuff. I like to pretend we are frugal and careful, but I'm not sure that we are. Our family is so wealthy (from a global perspective), that if we want to hop in our nice car and drive out to the Christmas tree farm and pick out a nice $50 tree to put in our living room, we're going to do it and not think twice. I'm making a family present this year for the first time, and even though all the materials were 50% off (the pattern only a dollar), I still spent almost $60. Maybe that's one of the reasons I enjoyed yesterday so much. Apart from buying the fleece (ahem!), we were just at home, together, enjoying each other's company and the music of the season.

We had a snow squall on Monday! The snow was so thick at times, it looked like pea soup fog. The children had friends over, and they were all excited. The girls squealed mightily and went out to play, while the boys admired it from the porch.

Karl and I had a date last night. (We are now exchanging children with friends, so the parents have a night out to themselves once a month.) We picked up chicken with cashews from Dragon City (mmmmm, Dragon City!!!), had a slice of pumpkin cheesecake that I made Monday, and watched Casino Royale on Netflix...the old Casino Royale with Peter Sellers, David Niven and Woody Allen. It was very strange, very 60s. We had to pick up the children before the movie was over, so we finished it later. I really liked the theme, by Herb Alpert, and found many copies of it on Youtube. (Youtube has always had the music for which I seek, like Mary's Boy Child by Boney M or Jim Reeves...)

I had time to myself yesterday afternoon, while Karl and Elise were at violin, and Albin had been dropped off at a friend's. I had time to get a good head start on the family's Christmas goodies. Even Karl doesn't know what I'm making, so it can only be dragged out when the family is gone. That doesn't happen very often, anymore! I'll have another chance tonight, though, when Elise is doing math with a friend. Karl and Albin will drop her off and go to Wednesday Nite at the Lab, free science lectures at the UW.

Whew--that was a lot of cooking! We now have lovely gingersnap cookie dough, fabulous butternut squash soup, and...some other things. It's nice to be done! Afterward, Albin went to bed early and the rest of us headed over to Tuvalu to hear some acoustic guitar music. Unfortunately, it was too crowded for me, so I went right back home and listened to Fibber McGee and Molly on Old Time Radio while knitting. Karl and Elise stayed, had hot chocolate, played chess, and heard some lovely music.

It's finally snowing out. There are even some big flakes "staying on the ground!!" says Elise. She is so excited for snow.

On Friday, we were at the library early and were able to see a traveling Abraham Lincoln exhibit. It was very neat, especially the video of the civil war in four minutes. It was just a map of the U.S., but the date, borders and casualty total were constantly changing in fluid motion. Everyone stood spellbound until it was over. We watched it twice.

This morning we had a rousing game of Authors and Rummy. Now Albin is on the Lappy, Karl and Elise are ice skating, and I have a few hours to knit or work on Christmas goodies. Maybe I'll put a pan of brownies in the oven first. We've got vegetable soup on the stove for church potluck, and will also bring pasta and peanut sauce. What a good afternoon to be tucked inside!


Butternut squash coconut curry soup -- 4
------------------------------------------------------------
1 Tablespoon Oil
1/2 Each Onion, chopped
2 Clove Garlic, clove
3 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock
1 Each Squash, butternut, peeled
1 Each Pepper, Jalapeno
2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup Lemon Grass, chopped (or not)
2 Each Lime Leaves
1/2 Cup Fish Sauce (we left this out)
1 Tablespoon Sugar to taste
3 Tablespoon Lime Juice


Instructions
------------------------------------------------------------
Heat oil in saucepan; add onion and garlic. Saute until lightly browned. Add stock, squash, and jalapeno; simmer until squash is just cooked through, 10-15 min. Add coconut milk, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer (do not boil) 10-12 min. Puree and strain through fine mesh strainer. Add lime juice and adjust to taste with sugar and lime juice. Four servings.

Little Al in his mobeius cat basket

Welcome! I never said so out loud, but I told myself that if we ever got a laptop, I might start a blog so the loved ones in our life can have a better idea of what we are doing now and again. After all, you know how often we write letters! (I don't plan to put pen and paper aside forever, though, because of new technology...)

So here we are. I'll spend some time this morning figuring out how to load and post pictures. Elise is racing through her chores/learning things so she gets first crack at the laptop this afternoon. Albin is still asleep. We were all up late last night, as usual, and he is the not the early bird today. That would be Karl. Karl is always the early bird.

Cooking group meets here tomorrow, so we have a bit more shopping and preparations to do. I need to buy thirteen 16 oz. containers of cottage cheese, ten pounds of peanut butter, and cook half of our twelve pounds of black beans. Karl cooked fifteen butternut squash last night. We have spinach pie, peanut sauce, butternut squash soup, and a boatload of cookies on the menu. Mmmmmm--butternut soup!!

We have been reading Loamhedge by Brian Jacques together. It's one of those books that when I finish a chapter, the children cry, "More! More! More! More!" I'm glad this is a long series--reading aloud together is one of my favorite things we do.

Elise is ready for help with her scene study, so off we go. Let's see if I can get a picture of the cat bed I knit for Al on here later...