Do you know what you call those who use towels and never wash them, eat meals and never do the dishes, sit in rooms they never clean, and are entertained till they drop? If you have just answered, "A house guest," you're wrong because I have just described my kids.
Erma Bombeck
Dear Erma,
No, you just described my kids!
Signed,
A Frazzled Mom
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Writer's Block
Not posting for almost two months makes this entry a bit intimidating. I now realize that any chance I had of gathering a "readership" is really squashed by such sporadic updates. Ah...such is life. My blog reading has also been seriously cut back. I now only check my "favorites" about once a week. Previously, I had been spending about one hour a day (!) reading. One can only read about sock updates so long before it gets a bit old. Please no offense intended.
As this is a knitting blog...
This may not be the most flattering shot, but what the heck. My cleaning lady spotted this and offered to trade me for my work! I love the barter system!
This time the pooling worked in my favor! Manos yarn- pattern from Big Fish, Little Fish - 8 needles.
The Eat Local Challenge for the month of May could turn into a total bust on my part. What the heck do I have to choose from in Western New York? The only items I can think of are locally grown asparagus, fall apples in cold storage, and farm eggs. I am really stuck! I have been reading the labels on the food products and am quite stuck. However, if the rain lets up, today would be a good day to stake the area I intend to use for a garden. I plan on creating a raised bed and filling it with the compost from the bed hubby has! I won't tell you what my neighbor thinks of that pile.
As this is a knitting blog...
This may not be the most flattering shot, but what the heck. My cleaning lady spotted this and offered to trade me for my work! I love the barter system!
This time the pooling worked in my favor! Manos yarn- pattern from Big Fish, Little Fish - 8 needles.
The Eat Local Challenge for the month of May could turn into a total bust on my part. What the heck do I have to choose from in Western New York? The only items I can think of are locally grown asparagus, fall apples in cold storage, and farm eggs. I am really stuck! I have been reading the labels on the food products and am quite stuck. However, if the rain lets up, today would be a good day to stake the area I intend to use for a garden. I plan on creating a raised bed and filling it with the compost from the bed hubby has! I won't tell you what my neighbor thinks of that pile.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Random Thoughts, Part 72
Do you not love the sunshine? Yesterday in Buffalo, New York was heaven. A day to energize, a day that compels you to wash windows, clean out some of those nooks and crannies, open the windows, bring out the Lemon Pledge.
And to top it off my parents dropped by with a belated Christmas present: chocolate almond cake. Growing up we had a German friend who baked the most wonderful treats. Lovely flakey things with jam and dusted with sugar. But my favorite was that rich, dense chocolate cake with a batter of ground almonds and lemon zest. Thanks mom, it was worth the two month wait.
And to top it off my parents dropped by with a belated Christmas present: chocolate almond cake. Growing up we had a German friend who baked the most wonderful treats. Lovely flakey things with jam and dusted with sugar. But my favorite was that rich, dense chocolate cake with a batter of ground almonds and lemon zest. Thanks mom, it was worth the two month wait.
But today is a rainy day. Off to the library. I think I shall treat myself to an hour reading in front of the picture window. Happy Sunday!
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Just Thinking...
It's too late in the day to think, but darn it! I stopped by to pay Liz a "visit" and she gave me plenty to think about. WalMart is indeed a double edged sword. In some areas of the country, it is the only game in town. But in larger suburban areas it does a great job of driving out a large amount of the diversity in a given area increasing the homogenization of America.
A super WalMart is proposed in an area of our town that has yet to be overly developed. It would be located between a daycare center and large dog kennel. The land itself is good for very little; the soil is poor, the drainage is worse. In point of fact, it is part of the flood plain that protects all the "little pink houses" in the developments. A large local developer purchased the land several years ago after the zoning was changed from agricultural to large commercial. The taxes have been paid with the idea that it would some day be sold at a profit to a large corporation.
So you know who rears their head, and the town roars in protest. The developer who wants to sell is threatening to sue if the deal is foiled.
So a few weeks ago we find a very unique piece of bulk mail. WalMart sent a beautiful brochure seeking the support of the community in its new business venture. This mega corporation was actually asking this town and the outlying area to contact the board and voice approval of the project. Huh. WalMart needs me. Hmm.
Moving on...eating locally. Yesterday while at the grocery store I really made an effort to purchase food items that were within a 100 mile radius. Buffalo makes many foods that are distributed throughout and beyond WNY. But do you think I could find a stinkin' loaf of bread on the shelves at Tops that was not distributed closer than Pennsylvania or New Jersey? I wonder how many gallons of gasoline are used to move around the food my family eats in one year? And who the heck is eating all those hard, pale strawberries I saw in the produce section? Part of eating local, is eating seasonally. And besides, it just tastes better.
A super WalMart is proposed in an area of our town that has yet to be overly developed. It would be located between a daycare center and large dog kennel. The land itself is good for very little; the soil is poor, the drainage is worse. In point of fact, it is part of the flood plain that protects all the "little pink houses" in the developments. A large local developer purchased the land several years ago after the zoning was changed from agricultural to large commercial. The taxes have been paid with the idea that it would some day be sold at a profit to a large corporation.
So you know who rears their head, and the town roars in protest. The developer who wants to sell is threatening to sue if the deal is foiled.
So a few weeks ago we find a very unique piece of bulk mail. WalMart sent a beautiful brochure seeking the support of the community in its new business venture. This mega corporation was actually asking this town and the outlying area to contact the board and voice approval of the project. Huh. WalMart needs me. Hmm.
Moving on...eating locally. Yesterday while at the grocery store I really made an effort to purchase food items that were within a 100 mile radius. Buffalo makes many foods that are distributed throughout and beyond WNY. But do you think I could find a stinkin' loaf of bread on the shelves at Tops that was not distributed closer than Pennsylvania or New Jersey? I wonder how many gallons of gasoline are used to move around the food my family eats in one year? And who the heck is eating all those hard, pale strawberries I saw in the produce section? Part of eating local, is eating seasonally. And besides, it just tastes better.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Finished...But No Medal
I may not be an Olympian, but the socks are done! Thanks again to my sock model, son K! Hey did you notice? These actually match, and without trying! I love it when things work out.
Lana Grosa Meilenweit Mega Stretch Boots
Ann Norling pattern
size 1 (yea baby!) needles
Next project? Well check these out:
Daughter E came home with a cute little pair of Mary Jane slippers that her bud purchased at Target. And better yet, a request to knit some up that looked just like it. A little searching - and this is what I found! Cute or what? The pattern was a bit much, IMHO, but little E was worth it. Done on size 7 dp and no cuff, these will be a snap.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Parent Licenses Now Accepted
Every morning I make an honest attempt to greet my students and have some sort of "one on one" time with my homeroom group. This morning I am overjoyed that Miss X has decided to attend classes for the first time this week.
Me: "Glad to see you Miss X! We've missed you! Let me get your work together and we'll see if we can get you caught up. We are finishing the novel today; the exam is tomorrow. Do you have your novel?"
Miss X: "Novel? Uh, no, uh...no it's somewhere."
Me: "Well, not to worry. I am sure it will float to the surface. You seem very tired. What time did you go to bed last night?"
Miss X: "Oh, I think it was around 4:00."
Me: "4:00? Where you watching television?"
Miss X, with a very "knowing" glance: "Uh, no...I was doing something else."
Me, thinking this 13 year old is not trying to say what I think she is: "Does your mom know you were up that late?"
Miss X: "No, I wasn't home. I'm never home."
Me: "So, sleepovers on a school night. Wow, I guess I must be a strict mom."
Miss X: "My mom doesn't care what I do."
CPS tells us this household is fine. One bedroom which the brother in re-hab gets; Miss X and her mother share the couch. Apparently this is why she chooses to sleep elsewhere. The 16 year old sometime boyfriend of the two (apparently the only thing they have in common), is also in residence during the week. There is no electricity in their half of the duplex. Because the grandparents live in the other half, and Miss X can go there if she chooses, CPS says this is acceptable.
Last week it was Miss Y. Her 30 something mother has a low paying job. Her 50 something significant other is unemployed. Miss Y says that now that he is "off alcohol" he is meaner than before. In order to spare her sister the physical discipline he doles out, she feels the need to interfere and serve as a distraction. I am told that because he does not leave marks or bruises, there is nothing to be done. Miss Y spends her weekends with her friends. It's easier that way.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND? These two children are only a whisper of the thousands of children in this nation who are not even lined up for the trip! Schools cannot fix what the home has broken.
Me: "Glad to see you Miss X! We've missed you! Let me get your work together and we'll see if we can get you caught up. We are finishing the novel today; the exam is tomorrow. Do you have your novel?"
Miss X: "Novel? Uh, no, uh...no it's somewhere."
Me: "Well, not to worry. I am sure it will float to the surface. You seem very tired. What time did you go to bed last night?"
Miss X: "Oh, I think it was around 4:00."
Me: "4:00? Where you watching television?"
Miss X, with a very "knowing" glance: "Uh, no...I was doing something else."
Me, thinking this 13 year old is not trying to say what I think she is: "Does your mom know you were up that late?"
Miss X: "No, I wasn't home. I'm never home."
Me: "So, sleepovers on a school night. Wow, I guess I must be a strict mom."
Miss X: "My mom doesn't care what I do."
CPS tells us this household is fine. One bedroom which the brother in re-hab gets; Miss X and her mother share the couch. Apparently this is why she chooses to sleep elsewhere. The 16 year old sometime boyfriend of the two (apparently the only thing they have in common), is also in residence during the week. There is no electricity in their half of the duplex. Because the grandparents live in the other half, and Miss X can go there if she chooses, CPS says this is acceptable.
Last week it was Miss Y. Her 30 something mother has a low paying job. Her 50 something significant other is unemployed. Miss Y says that now that he is "off alcohol" he is meaner than before. In order to spare her sister the physical discipline he doles out, she feels the need to interfere and serve as a distraction. I am told that because he does not leave marks or bruises, there is nothing to be done. Miss Y spends her weekends with her friends. It's easier that way.
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND? These two children are only a whisper of the thousands of children in this nation who are not even lined up for the trip! Schools cannot fix what the home has broken.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Knitting Weather
The sky is low,
the clouds are mean —
A traveling flake of snow
Across a barn or through a rut
Debates if it will go.
A narrow wind complains all day
How some one treated him —
Nature, like us, is sometimes caught
Without her diadem.
- Emily Dickinson
February. And winter has arrived! Although I had recently stated that I had not missed it a bit, I must admit that it is beautiful. And besides, what is better than sitting in your favorite knitting spot with a cup of tea watching the snow fall?
The first sock is almost finished; time for the toe decreases. Knitting on size 1 needles may win some looks of admiration from my buddies on knit night, but it gets a tad boring when they take longer than one week to finish.
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