Purling Oaks

Sun, Snow, and Mussels

Today was a beautiful and sunny, though rather cold, day. I climbed into the Jeep and drove to Madison for my first lesson at the Apple store on my new MacBook. There are a bunch of new and nifty features in Leopard and Apple has made this level of the OS even more consumer friendly. I'm not a new Mac user so it isn't all new but the improvements are pretty nifty. The Apple Store is in the West Towne Mall so it is quite a drive for me but today was worth the drive. On my way back home I just happened to stop at Stitchers Crossing for some thread but a few other items came home with me. I haven't been in there in a while and I definitely felt the urge to enhance my stash. I kept the enhancement to reading material and a cool purse implement. Oh, but the new fabrics and there is a new Trekking sock yarn! /sigh.

When I returned home, DH asked me if I had heard the forecast for Sunday. I said sure, it's snow, right? Yeah, up to 11 inches of snow by Sunday evening. I don't have to travel that day. However, it is a little worrisome since my mom is flying back from warm California on the Saturday redeye flight and is due in Sunday morning. I know she'll be fine but I'll be happy when she's back home and cozy with the dog.

So, with the coming snow in mind, I went outside and looked for the good stuff. Here is our sunset this evening and a temperature check.
In case those of you in warmer temperatures think this snow blogging is just a ruse, I give you piles of snow.
The pile on the left is actually our yard rock and the big pile on the right is about six feet tall and courtesy of the bobcat that had to reallocate snow in our yard so they could continue to clear the driveway. I know I'm not the only Wisconsinite thinking back to the 1960's and the piles of snow we had then. I wonder if this is the first year of the next cycle of big snowfalls? I really need to knit more socks!

And finally, DH made some mussels for dinner. We can highly recommend the Fond du Lac Seafood Company. DH started out with finely chopped onions, garlic, and a bit of salt cooked down in olive oil. Add about four ounces of Fino sherry and when the mixture is boiling, throw in the mussels. When they are open they are done. (Toss the ones that don't open.)

Home cooking, books, and a baby

(warning...photo-less post) The harvest moon was really bright as DH and I made our way back to the cottage this evening. We just enjoyed a yummy venison stew prepared by my mother with homegrown onions, potatoes, and tomatoes. Mom even made fresh herb bread. Mmmmm. Dessert was freshly-baked macadamia nut and white chocolate chunk cookies. And, yes, DH and I are feeling quite full, thank you very much. *g*

When I find my camera, I'll show you the great knitting books Mom found today at the Oshkosh Public Library sale. All for fifty cents a piece---what a bargain. No, there aren't any Alice Starmore titles, either. Too Bad. I'm going to take them home and read them for a while. Mom wants one back for a potential knitting project this winter.

Knitting-wise, I'm on the last front panel for the Baby Kimono sweater. I'm making good time, which is fortunate. Baby Taylor Isabelle was born just after midnight yesterday. Her grandmother is overjoyed. Now, please excuse me. I must go knit. *g*

Thursday's spare thoughts.

DH and I stopped at the bookstore after work this evening and I purchased the Spring 2007 Interweave Crochet.  I often-- but don't always --purchase the Crochet issues.  I've crocheted in the past and have a big blanket of white and purple variegated yarn as proof.  (Photos at a later date.)   My Nana taught me to crochet and she was always working on granny squares for a church project.  Great memories.  Anyway, at first riffle through, there are some pretty cute patterns in this issue.

Unfortunately, I didn't sleep well last night (neither did DH) due to my coughing so I went to a Walgreen's walk-in clinic this morning.  We don't have them (the clinics) in Wisconsin, but my experience today was great.  I was in, examined, and out in a very reasonable time period.  I have bronchitis.   So, I have a few (more) medicinal elixers to consume that will help my body rid me of this nastiness.  (My hopeful emphasis added.)  Or at the very least, let me get some sleep.  (No, I don't smoke.  Thank goodness!)

Back home tomorrow!  Hurray.

Cold turkey

I was out of town (I forgot, I live in the country!)away from home for a night and decided to leave my laptop at home. I certainly have a habit of spending a lot of time reading blogs and surfing in general. My self-imposed time-out was good. I didn't get the shakes though I did miss the weblogs. I did start reading Kim Harrison's A Fistful of Charms which is the fourth in the Rachel Morgan series. Interesting and definitely the distraction I needed from everyday cares. I can sink into a book of fiction and enter a time-warp where I will look up and find I've been reading two hours without noticing anything but the story. It is a great way to escape but also a "good" way of not getting enough sleep, not doing housework, chores, and so on. Yes, i was awake past midnight last night. Wayyyy past my regular turn-off-the-light time.

So, I'm going to catch up with my list of weblogs and maybe submerge myself into the last portion of my paperback. Sweet dreams and I hope the Pixies are on your side.

Blizzard prepared-ness

Well, first off, I didn't stop at the yarn store on my drive home despite the urging of my internal yarn hoarder. I did however, stop at a speciality grocery in Brookfield, V. Richards, and came home with some chocolate. Yummy and funny....how could I resist???

I finished the wrist warmers for my dad though you see my hands modeling them for your viewing enjoyment courtesy of DH's photography.


They are drying from a washing to see if they will get a bit softer, though they were certainly acceptable before the wash. I'll mail them to Dad on Monday if I can make it to the post office depending on road conditions.

So, I'm settling in for a nice blizzard weekend. DH and I have two nice meals planned: grilled salmon with a salad tonight and a roast duck with stuffing tomorrow night. After I finish laundry, the weekend is pretty open chore-wise. I plan to knit more on Sonnet and I started a science fiction paperback this morning. Knitting is relaxing (usually) but reading really takes me away and lets my brain completely disengage. Reading fiction (especially science fiction/fantasy and mystery) is one of my ways of disengaging from any stress.

Bread and an introduction

Vacations are great. I wonder if this is what retirement might be like? *grin* Well, I'll have quite a while before I discover the answer to that question. Last night, I started making a bread batter using the sponge method. (The NEW Joy of Cooking by Rombauer, Becker and Becker) You mix yeast, water, then bread flour--smaller amounts-- and let it rest for about 6 hours where it triples in size and is rather bubbly. Then you mix a cup of that starter with larger amounts of bread flour, water, and salt, which is very important and I almost forgot this time. After kneading, that mixture sat for about 9 hours which is a bit (ahem) longer than suggested by the recipe but a girl's got to get her sleep, you know? At 6 AM, I divided the now fantastically poofy dough into two bread pans. They rose for about 4 hours then went into a hot oven for 40 minutes. *Presto*, yummy bread. I use a bread machine most of the time but I really enjoy the old-fashioned way of making bread. It just takes a bit more planning to be sure I'm available at key times. This method really makes an especially good-tasting loaf (or two). I highly recommend The New Joy of Cooking. As long as I carefully read the recipe, every recipe has turned out very nicely.

Not enough progess was made on the sock to merit a photo, so I'll introduce you to White Dot. He's one of five kittens we kitten-napped from a feral mother-cat a few weeks after we moved into this house. His original birth name is Starr but that just didn't stick. My DH started calling him White Dot and it is now what the cat answers to. (Well, besides the words "treat" and "dinner.")

Here is a kitten picture of White Dot and his sister (drum roll, please), Black Dot. Her original name was Singer but once again the hubby found a, err, better name. White Dot is a handsome boy and is very gentle. He is, however, very much a kitchen cat. He has a terrific sense of smell and knows whenever ham or other meat is being prepared by a human. He enjoys humans because they will turn on the water faucet so he can paw the water and drink his fill. However, he is not much for lap-sitting although some ankle-rubbing is always nice.