gratitude

...for little boys who "eat" with spoons

...and talk on the phone (a surge protector...don't you love the expression--"can't you see I'm trying to talk on the phone here?")

...and for living in a place where we can watch seagulls and pelicans (!!) on Thanksgiving day.

what to wear during an economic collapse

You know, to wear while warming you hands over the fire in the trash bin.

The handwarmers pictured in the pattern are more delicate and not at all hobo-appropriate, but I screwed up the eyelet row (obviously). I think this is because I used thicker yarn and knit too tightly. I used the magic loop technique which I had derided before as being too much of a pain to be practicable, but I got all obsessed with it and couldn't sit still until I had successfully knit something in the round. So I checked that off my list and proceeded to knit a few miles of scarf (merry Christmas, family members!).

Anyway, I think they're perfectly serviceable, albeit not as pretty as the originals. I've already worn them a lot in the garden and sitting in the yard with Joseph, who thinks digging in the dirt with a spoon is the reason he was born. I think I might make another pair of handwarmers, but longer, prettier, and in some kind of dirt-color that will match my clothing, but that will have to wait until after the holidays.

this is one fine looking loaf of bread

But it took forever to knead and now I have carpal tunnel. It's the 100% whole wheat bread from the excellent Bread Baker's Apprentice. It really was delicious, as was everything I made from that book, especially the pizza dough, which I'll write about some other time.

I'm really not interested in kneading anything right now though (maybe when it gets colder?) so I'm going to return BBA to the library for now and focus on Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day which I actually dream about. It's due back at the library on Friday and I'm so okay with paying the late fee just so I can try out the panetone recipe this weekend. I've made a few sandwich loaves, all of which were very good, but the most fantastic thing to come out of this book is the BRIOCHE. It involves like a dozen eggs and a gallon of melted butter, but it is heavenly. I just made croutons out of the last few slices and they are the best croutons in the world. I think I need this book from Santa.

The real lesson here is that everything I've made from either of these books tastes better than any bread I've made from internet recipes.

in which I embarass myself

I've been a loser over the past two weeks about posting, but I've been a loser about ever so many other things:

• I'm kind of bored of reading to the baby (bad mama!). He's very interested in books right now, or at least in sitting in my lap and turning pages, and I'm at the point where I groan inwardly when I see him toddling over with yet another book. Don't worry, I read to him anyway.
• I spent about a week glued to the internet playing with the New York Times website's interactive electoral map, and playing with all possible permutations of outcomes. There was definitely a point on Tuesday when I knew how many electoral votes every state had.
  
• I'm so excited about having a potential self-diagnosis about my stomach issues. I heard in interview on NPR that resonated, then I did a google search, and I decided that I have a migraine in my belly! Who knew that such a thing existed? So exciting. Who needs gastroenterologists? This was hands down highlight of my week, even more than the election.
  
• When I finished reading all the Harry Potter books (I was very late to that party) I got very depressed for several days, and spent too much time looking up wizarding trivia on the internet (information about Hogwarts is pretty much why the internet exists, apparently). I discovered that there is a sizable nexus of knitters who are extremely fond of Harry Potter. A Ravelry search turns up all manners of Potter-inspired hand knits. Very comforting, in a people-are-weird-like-me kind of way.

I have some creative endeavors that I'll post about next week, so the lameness will stop, or at least be interrupted.