Thanksgiving...

I finished my Ribs and Ruffles scarf!! It is so soft and silky and very light to wear! It still keeps my neck very warm which came in very handy today with the colder weather! I just love it!

Kara came home last night, so today, we ventured out for our first trip to the mall in a very long time. The Thousand Oaks Mall has been renovated with a brand new Nordstrom's, so couldn't resist looking around. We also visited our favorite shop Sephora and had fun testing some new Philosophy bath fragrances.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and now that all the family logistics has been figured out, I think I can be very thankful! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and that you get to spend it with the people you love.

Finished and Starting Anew

I finished my lacy scarf and it turned out so nice. I did need to block it to get most of the curl out of it so that the lace pattern could be best seen. I also started a new scarf called the Misti Chunky Ribs and Ruffles Scarf with Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky 100% Baby Alpaca yarn. Oh, is this stuff ever yummy and soft, and so far, the scarf is extremely easy and fun to knit. I have a feeling this will be like potato chips; can't make just one!

I'm much relieved that the weather is finally cooling off here in Southern California, although it's still very dry making hand lotion very necessary. I can't even begin to count the number of hand creams and lotions that I own!

I don't know when I'll be getting back to cross stitching again...knitting is just so much fun, but I am feeling the tug to take thread and needle in hand again very soon. I especially enjoy samplers, in particular the Quaker motifs and look forward to stitch a long that I joined for January called Beatrix Potter Sampler. Such a pretty design.

But in the meantime, I knit...finished one, and now have started another...does it ever end??

Lacy Scarf miracle

I've been spending the evenings knitting and thinking about how in the world we're going to afford Christmas this year. I've decided that the most important aspect of the holiday is that we spend it together as a family and that we do as little shopping as possible. A matter-of-fact, I'm encouraging homemade items like cookies, pumpkin bread, tea cup candles, and chex mix. And these scarves...although, I think this purple one is for me. I'm enjoying this lace pattern and the tweedy yarn with its occasional specks of colour amongst the sea of purple. I'm very happy with the results and can't believe I'm actually knitting this...it's almost as though the hands of my Oma are helping me in some way as I feel as though part of my success is through instinct, but another part is through concentration and practise. I'd like to think, though, that it's my guardian angel holding my hands.

Special Dinner

My daughter Kara came home for the weekend and was very anxious to try out a new recipe she learned during her Nutritional Science Prep class...Mussels! When she made these the first time in class, all she could think about was how her Opa would enjoy them, so we went over to my parents with all ingredients in hand, and Kara re-created the Mussel recipe. We also made Shrimp, pasta, salad, and Brussel Sprouts to round things out. What a feast!! And as you can see, very much enjoyed by Opa!!! A very special dinner enjoyed by us all!!

So this is where Brussel Sprouts come from...

I love going to our local Underwood Farms vegetable stand. Everything is so fresh, and you can really taste the difference, so for a recent potluck, I decided to make the freshest of salads with Romaine lettuce, red, yellow & orange bell peppers, white radishes, and long onions. And, oh, yes, let's not forget the heirloom tomatoes!!

But a separate stock of produce caught my eye and I had to have it...a long stock filled with brussel sprouts!! I love brussel sprouts anyway, but I just couldn't wait to taste these fresh from the stock!! And they didn't disappoint!! The stock had tons...at least two baskets that you would normally buy in the supermarket. I steamed these for about 20 minutes and then sprinkled with a bit of nutmeg and garlic powder...mmmmmmm!

Knitting Comfort

Lately, knitting has been my comfort. I get nervous, I knit. I'm waiting at the doctor's office, I knit. Or I crochet. It brings me joy to create a piece of fabric...I'm actually VERY amazed and pleased. The next generation is being born, so the thought of one of my blankets somehow surviving space and time gives me a sense of perhaps being remembered in the future...hey, some unknown "aunt" made this for me. That would make me happy.

I've decided that I don't know what I'm doing and that blogging isn't for sizzies. How do you add pictures and stuff? Other blogs make it look so easy!! I hope what I'm about to do will be successful.