Saturdays and Possibilities

It's so sweet to wake up on a Saturday morning after a week of workdays. Saturday just bursts with possibilities, don't you think? Even washing the bed sheets and hanging them out has promise. There are always those sewing projects, the garden, ideas for dinner, throwing a little hike in somewhere - these are stuff of Saturdays.

This morning the clouds are roiling about and it is windy and cold. My brother Tom and his new bride are coming tonight and will stay until Sunday. Tom - at 51 - was a total bachelor until he married Deborah last Fall. I am very happy for them - they just seem so right for each other. Tom has always been kind of a loner. He loves his family but really never went out of his way to visit us for heaven's sake. What would be the point? So, here comes Deborah who hales from a huge Hispanic family and is related to everyone in Pueblo. Family is important and she is quite responsible for orchestrating several family gatherings in the six months she and Tom have been married. She is exuberant - and I just get a kick out of her for that.

Have a wonderful full of possibilities weekend, all.

Long Weekends, Hiking, and Knitting

Sweet weekend all in all. Jessica and the grandkids came to visit Saturday and left Sunday. We had fun looking for elf doors in the "woods". At four, almost five, Evan really didn't think there was anything unusual about finding elf houses sprinkled around Grandma's farm. The matter of fact reaction surprised me a bit!

And, what a treat it is to have President's Day holiday. All day I've been grateful. A few times I caught myself thinking about work tomorrow - and promptly reminded myself to focus on the moment. We got up early and went into Canon City to do errands, came home and raked up the yard a bit, planned a few garden-y type projects. After lunch we took a hike and because Jerry was there - we ended bushwacking up the back of the property on deer trails through the scrub oak. Jerry loves a good bushwack.

I've started another knit project - the February Lady's Sweater which is a "big ass version of the February Baby's Sweater" originally patterned by the queen of knitting, Elizabeth Zimmerman. And - hey! - it's February!

Tandoori and Weight Watchers

So, I'm really into food this month. Cooking it and then tracking how many points in Weight Watchers lingo I've consumed. WW's point system is becoming a byword in my family. Even my 4 year old grandson, Evan, makes guesses about a food's point value. " Ah, yeah.. that's six points probbly. " It's actually been quite fun to try new recipes. I was in such a rut with my meals.

If you want to know the truth of it? I was very impressed with the Julie/Julia Project and started to cook with an adventurous attitude about a year or so ago. People who know me well know that I cook basics competently. You know, a mean leg of lamb. I have never been one to go to specialty grocers for anything. Shit, I live 50 miles from the nearest specialty grocer and there is no way I will spend a precious day off going to shop for FOOD, for heaven's sake. I still feel this way - but, it's fun to replenish the old spice jars with fresh content - and I can do that in Cañon City - and look at different ways to combine these with food.

I'm making some tandoori chicken thighs tonight. Page 184 Weight Watcher's New Cookbook. 8 points. Roasted green beans 0 points. Whole Wheat noodles 3 points. I haven't lost one single pound this week but haven't gained any, either.

Lasagna rolls and Rob Roy

I made a scrumptious new recipe tonight from Cooking Light - lasagna rolls with spinach, mushrooms and roasted red pepper sauce. Very nice. Actually I have been cooking a lot lately. I joined on line Weight Watchers and am enjoying making a shopping list and cooking food using some different ideas. Jerry has been liking the focus on venison - which we have quite a lot of in the freezer- it is very lean meat and flavorful. I don't really want to lose any weight but it would be nice if I could stop gaining weight, for Pete's sake.



And I drank red wine and watched Rob Roy for the umpteenth time. I love that movie, truly do. When Liam says in his gruff Scottish brogue, "Do ye know how fine ye are to me, Mary McGregor?" - well, I just melt. Who doesn't? I want to get to the loom and weave plaid, drink Scotch and have babies. Or rather, do the things that cause babies....

We are getting through the dark winter days. February is always wonderful as the sky is still rather light when I leave work, not dark like it is in November. It almost makes one think that after work walks with the doggies are just a minute or so away. Usually by the time I actually get in the door though, it IS dark. But the thought is there and very possible - and that is so uplifting to my heart.

Hoping you all are loving the dregs of winter. (BTW -were you aware that snowshoeing for a mere thirty minutes earns 5 activity points?? - that's practically a whole bar of chocolate!)

Nursery Print Nostalgia

I had a nice long weekend which seemed to revive any spirits I might have lost. Some friends came from Michigan and we cruised the antique shops in Florence for a good part of one day. I found this lovely little nursery print of which the photo above is only a detail. Have tried to find the artist and cannot. I thought it was maybe Dutch as there are some windmills on the horizon and came across Henrietta Willebeek Le Mair whose work looks familiar but is not my illustrator. This has got to be 1940s or '50, don't you think? The little girl is waving her handkerchief at a woman down the shoreline a bit, there are many ducks and some water lilies. Maybe it is from some story of which I am ignorant. Help me out if you can, please!!!

The very cool part of this print was the internet journey I took in trying to discover my artist. There are whole sites devoted to nursery illustrators! Here is my favorite from yesterday.

Elf Doors and Snowstorms

Jerry presented me with several little elf doors, windows, and even a wee lantern for my Christmas gift. My daughter, Emily, came down to visit us over the holidays and she and I looked around for suitable tree homes. It was fun, I mean really fun! When we got back to the house we searched the internet for more of this type of thing. I think it's a cult. Could definitely use more of these whimsies in my life, who couldn't?

We are expecting a fabulous snow storm tomorrow into Monday! So very hopeful on several levels. First, southern Colorado is in severe drought. It's not extremely dangerous in terms of wild fires this time of year, but come spring and summer? The prospect is terrifying for me. Second, I love the snow and want to snowshoe - jeezo peezo - sometime this winter without having to travel to do so. Third, I want a snow day on Monday. And who wouldn't???

The Peaceful Time of Year

Aaaaahhhhh. Christmas is over. Ours was quite nice and every year I seem to have more gratitude for my family and friends - and my life. We were kind of easy going about Christmas this year. Got a permit for a tree and found one in the National Forest up Beulah way. It was a beautiful day in a way that only Colorado can be.

Got that puppy home, put lights on her....and only hung about ten ornaments (my favorites, of course). I just ran out of enthusiasm - and the tree was rather pretty without the decorations anyway. I didn't send cards - although Jerry sent some to his side of the family. He picked them out and they were kind of extreme Western. A bit too extreme for a Detroit girl. Cowboys decorating tumbleweeds and that sort of thing.

I did make some torrone and it was delicious this year. I ate a lot of it. Didn't finish the gifts I had chosen to make, either. That was okay, too. When I think of all the things I didn't do this year, it's quite incredible to say that this Christmas seemed so very right.

Have a wonderful New Year! Love to you.