Odds and Ends

I am fifty-eight days into this particular garden’s growth. Not bad, eh? I’m expecting the peppers to arrive at any moment now. I vigorously shake the plant daily and check for signs of fruiting development. So far, no luck but I live in hope.

 

 

Further along in my daily journey is my progress with my WIPs. Yesterday, I did something I thought I’d never do. I finally put the fringe on the Sidewalk Shawl I made back in October. Yeah. I even used Knit Picks Diadem yarn to do it. Double yeah. I was cringing the entire time I made it but, I must say, it looks lovely. I am afraid to wear it now. Regardless of my feelings on this project, I can now officially mark it off as completed with no trace of guilt about its status. 

 

 

Now, onto some Knitting. I’ve dusted off the gift I was making for the Maternal Parental at the start of the year. Mommy Socks Junior are slowly making progress using the Two at a time method of knitting. I’m not going to put up any deadline for this because, it seems, that’s just asking for a roadblock to come blundering into my progress. So, instead, I will focus on the pleasantries of knitting and enjoy myself in the process rather than try racing against time.

 

 

Aside from this, I’ve been baking and cooking. I’ve been baking bread and I’ve also been experimenting with one of Maangchi’s recipes (YouTube) for Dak-kalguksu.  I regret to inform you that the soup was so delicious that I was unable to get a good picture of it prior to it being decimated by our ravenous hunger. However, I did manage to get a picture of the bread. Not that it was any less flavorful, just that it came out of a near 400F oven and needed to cool off first before anyone could eat it.

 

 

Though, if you’d like to see a picture of the unrolled noodle dough, have at it.

 

 

Take care and enjoy your day.

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2017 Weekly Schedule

Provided I’m not doing other things, of course.

 

 

I even remembered to put eating in without being reminded to. *grin*

 

Yesterday was mostly uneventful. My Sweet Pickle Organic Peppers are finally starting to come up from the grow pods. I am super excited over that. Once they’re fully grown and fruiting, I’ll take the peppers and put them in soups, salads, and Kimchi for the most part. When I’m not snacking on them, of course.

 

I also baked three Chicken Pot Pies. If the slice I had is anything to go by, they are most delicious. Two are for the Maternal Parental and I and one would be for my uncle.

 

The only thing I forgot to do yesterday was water my plants. I shall rectify that today.

 

I am considering testing a themed blogging format for this blog. Over a set period of time, say a day, a theme would be in effect and I would blog about it. Of course, my normal random posts would probably still be here too. I just think it is the time I start taking this blog more seriously than as an agony aunt. Random sporadic posting has its place on the journey to becoming an effective writer. However, I do need to work on the other aspects.

 

That’s enough for now. I have to study. Later.

Celebrating Success

I am so not letting this illness get me down. Instead, I’m going to wax ecstatic about all the things growing in my room as well as the achievements I’ve accomplished.

 

First, an achievement.

 

Four chicken pot pies! If the swipes of tastings are anything to go by, they’re pretty tasty too. I wish I could eat some but they’re not for the household. They’re for the Maternal Parental’s brother and sister.

 

I would have included the Peanut Butter cookies I made along with them but…they sort of got eaten up. On well. Better luck next time.

 

In the realm of gardening, I’ve gotten a monster crop of Jalapeno peppers coming in (vlog coming tomorrow).

Also included is a little junior partner in the Equality Salsa Garden. Ladies, Gentlemen, Multiforms, and Variations Thereupon, I present to you the first developing tomato in my garden.

 

 

In the realm of crafting, I completed one last project, the little Yummy Yoda, prior to the beginning of NaNoWriMo prep for me.

Not bad for a first go at the pattern. I’m going to get some more DK weight yarn in various colors to see how well I can do on making the other figures.

 

The other projects I was working on prior to the beginning of NaNoWriMo Prep will just have to wait forty five days on my desk.

 

Speaking of the writing… I have my Novel title, summary and brief excerpt up on the NaNoWriMo site. I have absolutely nothing else except for a randomly written filling of the world of my story. I live in hope though as I have fifteen more days in this month and another whole month in November to write this out. I’m trying not to procrastinate, like I normally do, but it’s only making me do just that.

 

I’m going to make a revised schedule for myself tomorrow. Either that, or stick to the one I have up on my wall. I still have loads more research to do and characters to create. Wish me good luck.

Day Three Without My Desktop

I’m bored. When I get bored, I start showing signs of creativity.

Cooking, baking, knitting, crocheting, writing and more are all a part of my anti-boredom repertoire.

Hopefully, I can get a new desktop sooner rather than later.

Tonight, I’m going to fire up my spare P-311 earphones and listen to some music. Tomorrow…the culinary chaos begins.

Muahahahahahaha!!! 😄💜🌈

Random Morning Ramblings

I don’t even know where to begin this morning. While checking posts on G+, I came across some disturbing updates from someone I really admire for her skill. One of the vloggers I follow is decompensating badly and vlogging about it rather than visiting a medical professional. Having dealt with mental illness for all of my life both personally and as a caregiver, I can see how this is going to play out and it’s sad to me that it’s going to take her crashing and burning to get the help she desperately needs.

 

The one thing I can be thankful for in this is that the majority of her subscribers are begging for her to get the help she needs. I just hope it filters through.

 

Changing the subject, because the above is just too close to home and depressing, I’ve yet to cast on for the gloves or make the bread. Last night, we had pasta which required the storing of said comestible in the very bowl I use to make bread. In case you didn’t know, I’m very minimalist. So, I don’t have much in the way of cooking and baking gear. Nor do I have room for much. I should make the bread in a few days time.

 

The gloves, I am going to start today for sure. After I finish this post and eat, actually. I’m motivated to knit them up and I want to take advantage of this sudden burst of creative energy to get them done as quickly as possible. I want to get to the doilies, stat!

 

I did manage to talk with my Protégé and he’s coming over on Wednesday to pick up his stuff. Oh joy be unconfined. This is another reason to get the gloves done sooner than later. They’re for his Dad. I don’t know if we’re going over our first lesson or not as I don’t know his schedule but I will be surprising him with some Amazing yarn from Lion Brand. I told him to expect expensive yarn but I didn’t say what I was giving him. Hopefully, he’s not reading this blog post.

 

I managed to get through my first workout last night without needing a medic. I do actually feel better for doing it, though I don’t know how many actual calories I burned in the process. MFP says a little over 800 for 90 minutes of dancing. I think tonight, I’ll do calisthenics. That burns an easy 1,400+ calories in the timeframe I normally do it.

 

Still no appetite but I am eating more, albeit reluctantly. I just don’t appear to be hungry. I force the food down but there’s no pleasure or motivation in eating beyond not dying of starvation. I do have some Kimchi downstairs in the refrigerator, along with some frozen vegetables. I may make myself a breakfast of noodle soup to get me through the day. Mmmm, Kimchi!

 

I have been eyeing the pattern for the In Love With Color throw made by Jessie Rayot. I have a great desire to make it but responsibilities come before pleasures. I’ve already gotten one afghan out of my system with the Hexagon Granny Afghan. Making another would really be spoiling myself.

 

My plants are growing like weeds despite the harsh heating blowing on them and the winter slowdown. The Aloe Vera I docked is sending up new babies, the top part of the same plant that I put rooting hormone on with a wish and a wink is growing vigorous roots downstairs. The various cuttings I made of my Sansevieria are growing roots as well. Would anyone local like one? Ha ha. I have no room for these new babies. As soon as I get them established, they’re going out the door to various forever homes in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area.

 

Mind you, if they’re growing like this now, what will they do when Spring and Summer rolls around? I may be in some trouble in a few month’s time.

 

That’s enough rambling. I’ve got to go eat now. Later.

Bread Baking Bonanza

I have discovered that I have just enough yeast to bake some bread. It’s SO going to happen today.

 

My last two loaves weren’t my best baking. Owing to my own laziness in greasing the pans while depending on the Maternal Parental to do the aforementioned, the bread rose a little too long in the first rising and lost all the fizzy goodness for the second rising. Alas, my bread was doughy.

 

This time around, I’m going to time it to exact measurements with the hope that I can make this small amount of yeast last.

 

Not much is happening today beyond that. I am getting ready to knit the gloves, watching New Scandinavian Cooking and adding my blogs to this new (for me) remote poster.

 

As to this poster, I’m getting used to it. It’s weird seeing my blog colors as a part of the posting template but, other than that, Windows Live Writer is very intuitive and not at all difficult to work with. LOL, I like things difficult though. It even allows me to set categories and tags in the post, as well as make new ones. That’s worth a lot, not having to log into the site to do so.

 

So, I am finally going to follow my fitness schedule tonight. I lost some weight and I’ve got a motivation to lose more. I’m not just going to dance tonight, I’m going for the full 90-120 minute workout. I’m hoping that, within six weeks, there will be a noticeable difference in my weight and overall muscle tone. Ugh, I’m really not looking forward to this but…it must be done.

 

I also cancelled the appointment with Bethesda. The Maternal Parental has been majorly freaking out about the possibility of something “tragic and devastating” happening on my planned trip. She’s older and delicate now. I don’t want to worry her unnecessarily.

 

One thing I have to look forward to are my Protégés. One, I don’t have direct contact with but the other I do. I’ve gotten both crochet hook sets and, in the case of my geographically closer student, I’ve gotten a full bag of knitting implements including yarn enough to practice with, knitting needles crochet thread and steel crochet hooks. One protégé is 29 and the other is barely 13 with a rambunctious younger brother tearing through her possessions. You can guess who got what.

 

If only Padawan would come and get his stuff…

 

I am also teaching myself to write patterns. If I can ever get YouTube to load properly, I found a few promising videos as well as promising blog posts and information on professional pattern designer’s websites for me to peruse. I’m hoping to learn within a month’s timeframe. The best laid plans of Mice…

 

That’s all, folks. I’m going to go start the gloves now. Later.