Lazy Days, Lazy Blogger

So there I was, running around at the beginning of June like a crazy woman. Dance recital, fencing camp, return Kaitlin's computer to school, tennis, haircut, classes, trainings... then, IT happened!! I woke up one morning and I looked at the calendar and it was... empty. That's right, one ENTIRE day, no obligations, no pick-ups or drop-offs, no library books due, no nothing. My heart started beating faster... can it be true? I checked the other calendar, by the computer, and the OTHER calendar in my briefcase... nothing! One day of total freedom! I laid down on the couch and stared at the ceiling fan for a few minutes, grinning gleefully. What would I do with this lovely, free day? I could catch up on cleaning and laundry. I could plant the plants languishing in the heat in the backyard. I could bake. I could knit. I could take a walk. Go shopping! Hit tennis balls! Write on my blog! The possibilities were endless.

You know exactly what I did, don't you? That's right: absolutely nothing. Not a thing. I lounged around. Caught up on all the blogs I read. Made a smoothie and drank it. Checked out the boys' computer game. Cleaned the crumbs out of the toaster. Shaved my legs. Watered some plants. Read the paper. Put my pj's on at 6pm. You get the idea. All day long I thought hard about what I could do with an entire free day, and then I proceeded NOT to do any of it. I have to say: it was the perfect day!

Isn't it the ultimate truth, though: the less you have to do, the less you actually do. Every once in a while, it's so delicious to just enjoy being.

Okay, here is my tennis sock before: And after:

Yes, I had to frog the entire thing. As usual, I tried to shrug it all off: Yes, the cuff around my ankle was too loose. Oh, well, better than too tight, right? Um, yes, and the heel flap was too short. Oh, well, you can't really see it, right? Okay... the combo of loose cuff and short heel flap, doesn't that mean that the sock will be likely to slip down into my tennis shoe? Yes, it does. I kept pretending that it would be fine, but it would NOT be fine. It didn't fit right. The lucky tennis socks weren't starting off very lucky if they didn't even fit right. I know how to fix them and make them fit better, so I might as well do it... right? (Please, agree with me! Nod your head! Let me know that you are with me on the trip to the frog pond! It was a painful trip!) So, the tennis socks went into the "starting over" pile.

I stared at the re-wound skein of sock yarn for a few days, and I realized that I had totally lost the urge to knit tennis socks. I like the ones I buy, with the thick, padded food. Why, this yarn simply didn't want to be tennis socks!! It was begging for some ribbing, not tiny ribbing, but chunky, 4x2 ribbing. So, I got back on that horse and started again:

Yes, I decided to try something new. I am trying some toe-up socks, using the Eastern cast-on. I really hope these fit!!

Here is my "Amanda's Squatty Sidekick." It's chunky yarn instead of worsted weight, and size 15 needles, and I really don't know how it will turn out, but it will be great! (Don't ask about the orange and purple. I think it will felt up beautifully and all sort of blend together into something lovely. Hey, it's the yarn I had when the mood struck!!) Okay, it does sort of look like a pumpkin, now, but just you wait!! :-)

Isn't it crazy that I'm knitting in this heat? I know.

So, it's hot, and getting hotter, no better time to fire up the pressure cooker! Delicious food quickly, no heating up the house. Here is a recipe for Red Lentil Dal, from the VegSource pressure cooker board: (note: it's not exactly like a "true" dal, the kind you get in an Indian restaurant, but it is cooked lentils with curry powder, and it is delicious, so give it a try!!)

Pressure Cooker Red Lentil Dal

1 lg. onion, chopped

2 tsp oil or water

1 Tbs. crushed garlic

1 quart of veggie broth + 2 C water

1-1/2 C red lentils

1/2 lb. chopped carrots

1-1/2 lb. chopped red potatoes

1 Tbs. curry powder +/- to taste

Saute onion and garlic in oil or water. Add remaining ingredients, bring to high pressure and cook 5 minutes. Quick release. Serve over brown rice, over raw spinach, or over salad. (or spinach on top of rice.) Trust me, this is great. The hot lentils sort of wilt the spinach and it's perfect! Definitely drizzle some tamari/ soy sauce on top!! Add some diced avocado if you wish.

You can also make this on top of the stove, but you will probably need to cook it for about 30-40 minutes. It will still taste fantastique!!

I'm going to go and make a smoothie and sit on my deck and stare at my toes for a while.