I'm Still Here....

It started out so innocently: I'll just check my email in the morning, and then get on with my day. Soon, it was about an hour on email/ lists/ blogs/ fantasy shopping. Quickly grew into two hours. Then I had to catch up several times a day. I joined the bloggers, joined cooking lists, knitting lists, you name it! Yes, it was fun, but I had to just face the facts: I was spending way too much time on the computer. In fact, I was spending more time reading about knitting than actually knitting. More time reading about cooking than actually cooking. I wasn't really doing anything, but I was learning so much!

As much as I love the www, something had to give. I couldn't go cold turkey, but I had to cut way back, and so I did. I unsubbed to some lists, went no-mail on others, and totally limited my screen time. And that's why I haven't been blogging. My plan is to carve out some time each weekend to blog about the week, just to keep in touch, so here I go. I may have to limit photos and such, because when my time's up, I gotta go and actually do something!

We have been caught up in a whirling dervish of cultural activity!! (Don't you just love that visual of a whirling dervish? What is a dervish, anyway??) At any rate, that's where we've been, in case you were wondering.

We started out by taking the kids to a live performance of "A Prairie Home Companion." I will admit it right now, I was not really very excited about going. Mike loves PHC, and the kids enjoy listening to it, too, but I am sort of on the fence. Sometimes I like it, sometimes I'm just not in the mood. Mike wanted "good" tickets, so I moaned and groaned and paid up and it was so, so worth it!! The show was wonderful and it was a night we will all remember.

Next came "Romeo and Juliet" at the local Shakespeare in the Park performance. The show was good, if a bit melodramatic, but the best part was the kids' Shakespeare dialogue. I could hardly keep up, which is good, because I hope my kids are smarter than I am!

We ventured out to the Impressionist Exhibit at the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. If you haven't been, and you like Impressionism, GO!! We all loved it.

Mike and I went to see Oklahoma! at the dinner theater. Seriously, one of the best performances I've seen. (expert that I am) (just kidding, of course) (Okay, I DID count my high school's performance in my comparison, but this show was really good!!)

While we're talking cultural events... who went to the Harry Potter book parties last night? We were there. Kait was a death eater, Connor was Dumbledore, and Kyle was Dobby. It wasn't very well organized, the store was SO HOT, and we didn't get our book until 1:20am. Still, I wouldn't have missed it. The kids were so excited. They played the trivia games, entered the costume contest and just enjoyed themselves. I was about to pass out from the heat and the smell of all the people and the crushing mass of bodies, but it wasn't really about me, now was it? For the record, this has always been Mike's job, but he was out of town for this book release. That won't happen again.

Let's see... I did finish my lacy shawl, in the car, on the way to Oklahoma! I love it; it's perfect. I have not yet felted Amanda's Squatty Sidekick. No real reason, except that it's kind of hot to felt. (is that lame?) I finished one of the toe up socks I started using the ex-tennis sock yarn. This is the first time I have made a complete sock toe up. As of right now, I like cuff down better, but I reserve the right to change my mind:-) And, I did a short row heel, but I actually like the heel flap better! I'm getting ready to start sock #2.

I've also just started a scribble shawl, a la "Mason Dixon." I am using a ribbon yarn from Colinette which is so beautiful, and also Rowan kid silk haze. It should go fast on size 17 needles! Pics will follow.

And what have we been eating? Salads. Coleslaw with lemon dressing and raisins. Spinach salad with pecans, red onion, feta and dried cranberries. Green bean salad. Black bean salad with avocado. Green bean and potato salad. Corn salad. Oh, and corn bread. The best corn bread I've ever made. (okay, this is not counting that one time Mike talked me into making corn bread in bacon grease in a cast iron skillet when we first got married. Sound disgusting? Sorry, but it was "slap your grandma" delicious!!)

Here is the corn bread we all adore:

(adapted from "The Bread Bible" by Beth Hesperger)

note: I just make my own "buttermilk" by adding a tsp of white vinegar to a cup of soy milk and then just letting it set for a few minutes.

another note: You can use real butter, or Earth Balance, or even olive oil. They all work fine.

1 C flour

1 C cornmeal

1/4 C sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1 C buttermilk

4 Tbs butter, melted

1 C fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 and lightly oil a 9-inch baking dish or pie plate.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and butter.

Add wet ingredients to dry, adding the corn kernels if desired, and stir until JUST BLENDED.

Spoon into dish; bake 25 minutes, cool 10-15 minutes before cutting.

My time is up. Serve up some cornbread with a can of baked beans and bask in the glory:-) (Or, serve with pressure cooked black-eyed peas. Or Cuban black beans. Or any bean salad.)

(See what I mean? Is there a 12 step program for computer addicts???)

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.

Pondering Karma...

I've been thinking a lot lately about karma. You don't have to call it "karma"; you can call it "you get what you deserve", or "what comes around, goes around"; or "you reap what you sow", or... you get the idea.

Sometimes, karma just slaps you in the face and calls you an idiot. Like the time I bought 2 small avocados and 1 large one, and the grocery clerk charged me for 3 smalls. I realized it as I was walking out of the store. The little voice inside my head said, "Just go over to customer service and pay for it." The louder, more obnoxious voice said, "Oh, it's only a dollar! No big deal! YOU didn't make the mistake! We're in a hurry! We have to get home!" The big mouth won. I went home and cut into my big, beautiful avocado and... it was totally rotten. I didn't have enough avocados to make guacamole. Still, I had to laugh. Instant karma.

Sometimes, karma gives you a chance to make it right. Like the time I came home from Whole Foods with a basket of blueberries I didn't select and didn't pay for. My kids asked, "What are you going to do, Mom?" I said, "Well, Whole Foods is a 25 minute drive. Next time I go in, I will talk to customer service and offer to pay for the blueberries." We were all satisfied with that, and began happily munching on our free blueberries. I went to Whole Foods and totally forgot about the blueberries. I went a second time, and forgot again. About 2 weeks later, I came home from the grocery store and the red new potatoes I bought for potato salad, (selected, bagged and PAID FOR), were not in my bag!! Damn! NOW I remember those blueberries. (I sent Mike back to the store for the potatoes:-) Still, score another one for karma!

Sometimes, however, things happen that have no rhyme or reason. Try as I might, I can't really find the karmic lesson. I am talking about my tennis league. I joined the TenCap Tournament, which is a little summer, outdoor league, strictly social/recreational, where tennis players from all over the Kansas City area meet up to play some matches. People are matched by their ability, and there are actually other players out there at my level:-) I am an excellent tennis player. (This is me, working on the power of positive thinking!!!) Okay, we all know about my tennis abilities, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I showed up for my first match and my partner never showed up. I called her (no answer); just a no-show, and I had to forfeit my match. It turned out that she had worked late the night before and overslept. I played my second match (with Marcia) and we lost, but it was a good match. I was scheduled for a week off last week, but someone needed a substitute to attend a funeral, so I volunteered. I was just trying to help someone out and I was available to play, so I did. Guess what? My partner never showed up! I called her, her husband said he had no idea where she was. This time, she said it was raining at her house, so she assumed the match would be canceled. (Do I even have to mention what happens when you ASSUME something??) The match was not canceled; it was warm and partly sunny and I had to forfeit. Again.

So, I've been pondering the lesson here. I've thought about reverse karma: maybe this happened to prevent me from embarrassing myself? Nah. It's only tennis; I can live with losing a few matches, even getting creamed. I've decided it's more about forgiveness. Both women apologized and I graciously accepted. I tried to look inside myself for the times I've made mistakes, or bad decisions... and I didn't have to look very far! I was reminded of one of the prayers of St. Francis of Assisi: "It is in the giving that we receive; it is in the pardoning that we are pardoned..." I hold on to the hope that, when I need it most, when I screw up badly, someone will find it in their heart to forgive me, too.

Hey, maybe it is karma, in a way, after all! Or, maybe it's only tennis.

My Random 7

Okay, I was tagged by Vanessa to join in on this 7 Random Things thing. I am one of the least technically savvy people I know. My daughter had to set up my blog. I depend on my kids and my husband to keep all the technology in our home up and running. I had to email V and admit that I have no idea how to go about this! I did check her blog, and it was full of links and color and everything I do NOT have on my blog!!

Anyway, here are the instructions:

The rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven other people and list their names on your blog. Then you leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

HA!!! I just did a color change! I am really progressing, huh? Well, I don't personally know 7 people who have blogs, so if YOU have a blog and you are reading this, consider yourself tagged.

Here are my 7 Random Things About ME::

1. I have moved 23 times in my life. (Yeah, it's getting old.)

2. I am a book-aholic. It's truly a disease. I love books, I save them, I collect them, I hoard them, I sneak them into the house and shove them onto the bookshelf, pretending (to myself) that they've been there all along.

3. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a teacher. I let myself get talked out of it. Now, I homeschool my kids, teach yoga and teach knitting. I was a technical trainer for a while in the professional world. I guess you can't deny your true calling.

4. I long to be an artist, but I am a scientist, through and through. I love to cook... with a recipe. I love to knit... with a pattern. I think myself very daring if I make a small change in a recipe and it actually tastes good! My inner artist is begging to come out!!

5. I really don't like other people's feet. I even hated trimming my kids' toenails when they were babies! Feet are just sort of knobby and sweaty and bumpy and... gross. Fine words from a sock knitter, eh?

6. I'd prefer a nice bowl of tortilla chips and salsa to a dessert, any time. I love tortilla chips. I despise cheesecake. There are those days I NEED chocolate, but that doesn't really count as dessert... does it? I could survive on chips and salsa, I think. Toss me an avocado once in a while and I'd be a happy camper.

7. I enjoy washing dishes. That's right, I like it! I don't like to wash big pots and pans and baking dishes; Mike does those:-) I just like the warm water, the soap, the instant gratification of a pile of clean dishes. Seriously, we only run our dishwasher about once a week! Don't get me started on all the cleaning chores I DON'T like!!!

Okay, there's my 7, about as random as you can get.
Enjoy the rest of your week!!

House of Champions!

May I brag about my kids, just this one time? Thank you. All 3 of my kids began fencing last fall. First, it was just the boys, but they made it sound so great that my daughter had to try, too! They all love it. It is a once weekly class and they won't miss it for the world.

Yesterday was the annual fencing tournament for recreational fencers! All 3 of my kids were nervous. Kaitlin was nervous because she had no idea what to expect; she suspected she would be one of very few girls, (she was correct!); and her age category was "open fencing," which was very...open. Connor wasn't too nervous; he was up for the competition, just uncertain of where he would end up... and that boy likes to WIN. Kyle was extremely nervous. He is the youngest kid in their fencing class and usually loses. He had never fenced anyone in his own age group and I think he just wanted to prove to himself that he is a good fencer.

I'll spare you the details. Kaitlin and Connor had to fence each other several times. They usually go back and forth winning in class, but yesterday, Kaitlin won. In the end, Kyle won a silver medal for the age 10 and under category! This was big for him; he had to defeat a lot of kids and I could see his confidence soaring. Connor won a tie for third place in the open fencing, and ended up with a gold medal for the age 12 and under category! It took the sting out of losing to his sister:-) A real confidence-booster for him, too. Kaitlin ended up winning the gold medal for the open fencing category! Her final bout was won by one point. She fenced a young man who is actually a competitive fencer, and a very good one, but he was fencing yesterday with his left hand in the recreational tournament. She was so proud; I don't think she thought she could actually win. I believe all of her dancing really helped her footwork, which was graceful and controlled. Mike and I are just bursting with pride!

Moving on. Thanks for your comments and suggestions and ideas about how to continue knitting despite my shoulder issues. I must confess: except for an initial slowdown, I have not cut back on my knitting! I have tried to be very conscious of my position, constantly adjusting my shoulders, taking more breaks, stretching out frequently. I am searching for shoulder stretches and reading a lot about shoulders. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I'm still working on the shawl, which is coming along nicely. I wish it were finished already, as I've had many opportunities to wear it! All in good time, I guess. Also, working on the foot of my first tennis sock! I am using the Sockotta yarn, cotton/wool/nylon blend, and a plain "vanilla" sock pattern with the leg/cuff cut down. They are pretty and very soft, and I hope they will bring me luck on the tennis courts:-)

(That's Luka, checking out my sock)

Okay, I did say we are a "house of champions," but perhaps I should say the kids are fencing champions, and Mike is a golf champion, but Cheryl is NOT a tennis champion. Not by a longshot. I played in my first league on Friday. Marcia was my partner, luckily, because she is pretty good. We lost, 7-5, 6-1. Everything I have ever done wrong, I did wrong. I swung on the volleys (out of the court); I didn't follow through on my forehand (out of the court); I twisted my racket on my backhand volleys (out of the court); I did some dumb one-handed backhands... out of the court! Okay, room for improvement, right? It was still fun, believe it or not! The ladies we played against were super nice, we didn't get creamed, and now I know what I need to work on:-)

It's sort of a rainy day and I'm craving homemade baked macaroni and cheese. Here is a simple recipe for our favorite:

Baked Mac and Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni or other small pasta, cooked and drained

2 Tbs. butter or Earth Balance

2 Tbs. flour

2-1/2 C milk (lowfat, soy milk, or rice milk all work fine)

2 C grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided

2 chopped green onions

breadcrumbs for topping

Melt butter in saucepan over med. heat. Whisk in flour, then add milk and cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in 1-1/2 C cheese and season with salt and pepper. Combine with noodles. Stir in green onions. Pour into a 9 x 13 glass baking dish that has been sprayed with oil. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, then sprinkle on some breadcrumbs. Bake 30-40 minutes, until the top begins to brown.

I'm off, for now. More soon!

The Flip Side

I really wanted to share all the wonderful things I experienced at the yoga workshop last week. I wanted you all to realize how really great it was! I hope you did.

And now, for the flip side.
(I know some of you are too young to remember vinyl records, (Vanessa), but the flip side is the OTHER side of the record, the side that does NOT have the hit song on it!)
Here is the flip side of my yoga experience:

I talked with Max frequently throughout the week, adjusting my body to the postures, trying to figure out which things would work best for me. We worked at length with my shoulders, which are sort of tight and "crack" a lot, and have a somewhat limited range of motion. He kept assuring me that we could work with them and that they would get better.

On Thursday, I returned from the lunch break a little bit early. I decided to knit a few rounds on a sock I'm working on. I was chatting with another woman in the class who was also a knitter. Max came trotting over to me. Excitedly, he said, "Cheryl, how often do you do that?" I stared blankly. "Do what?" "THAT!" He pointed at my sock. "Oh, knitting? Every day, I guess. Why?" "How long do you knit for every day?" "I don't know." I faltered. I had a sneaking suspicion that something bad was about to happen. "Sometimes a few hours a day, I guess." I knit while the kids are taking piano lessons. During soccer practices. And games. During fencing. While watching American Idol. A lot.

Max was... ecstatic. "That's it!" he said. "That's what?" "That's what's causing your shoulder tightness. I sat right here and watched the movement of your shoulders and it's not good. You've got to stop!" "Stop what?" I stared blankly. I looked at the woman sitting next to me. She looked horrified. "Surely you don't mean... stop... knitting?" Now I was horrified. Max said, "Well, no, not stop, you don't have to stop knitting, you just have to cut back. Do it a lot less. Find something else that you want to accomplish so you don't have an empty feeling. I think your shoulders will feel a lot better!" He walked away, smiling, obviously pleased with himself.

I almost fell over. I was stunned. I stared at my knitting friend; she stared back at me. "I can't stop knitting," I said. "NO, you can't," she agreed. "You can't stop. You shouldn't stop. You don't have to stop." She was sputtering. I nodded in agreement. I don't have to stop! She said, "Sometimes I prop my elbows on pillows while I knit. I bet you could modify the way you hold your needles." I grabbed that one. "Yes! I'll modify! I'll adjust! I can still knit!" She nodded, and we smiled at each other, encouragingly. And then Max rang the bell (actually, the bowl), and class began.

Okay, I'm not going to stop knitting. But ever since Max mentioned it, all I can think about is my shoulders. I stop every few rounds and stretch them out. I do a few asana, just to make sure they aren't freezing into a knitting position. (Would that really be so bad?) And... I feel guilty. I don't want to fill my time with something else; I want to knit. I can't run, because of my ankles. My chiropractor told me that tennis is not the best thing for my back. And now my yoga teacher wants me to stop knitting?? I think we are all in agreement here: there is surely, most definitely, some sort of compromise... right?

Now you all know the flip side of my yoga experience. To tell you the truth, I almost didn't write about this. I didn't want to tell anyone! I thought about it a lot and decided if there IS a compromise, or a modification, my friends could help me find it. So, what are you waiting for? Help me! Any suggestions are welcome.

I wonder if I could actually knit while doing yoga??

Sorry I Left You Hanging!

Waiting with baited breath for the grand finale:-)

Okay, first, I must send out wishes for a happy mother's day to all the women in my life. You might not have children, but you have nurtured someone, or perhaps a furry "someone", and nurturing, loving, caring for anyone who needs it, that's what mothers do. I celebrate the Great Mother in all of us.

Back to yoga. The final session was very poignant. I know I wasn't the only one on the verge of tears for most of the day. As always, Max was the Master Teacher that he is, and he directed and handled our energy to perfection.

Most of the session was spent giving us final instructions in how to be the best teachers we can possibly be. We learned how to order our verbal instructions and how to speak so others can best understand us. We learned the best ways to sequence our classes to keep our students safe. Jamie gave us some final pointers in human anatomy and suggested points to reference in every posture.

The final pose we studied, practiced, learned and taught was handstand. This was planned to perfection. Max told us, at the beginning, that handstand is a very rajasic pose, meaning that it generates intensity and heat. He told us that handstand is a pose that is inspiring, exciting, confidence-building, and even life changing. We all got to experience handstand, several times. We all got to teach handstand to another person and to help them experience handstand. Max was right. The energy in the room exploded! We were all happy, excited, proud, accomplished. It was the loudest day of the workshop. Everyone was touched. We all left feeling capable of teaching yoga, capable of changing our own lives, capable of helping others.

Later last night, we all gathered at Jennifer's house to relax and connect with each other one final time. It was the perfect finale, filled with happiness and hope. I introduced Mike to Max. I have to add that Mike does not practice yoga and really, has no interest. I could tell that he definitely felt Max's presence. He really enjoyed everyone he met and had a great time. I don't know if he will turn into a yogi, ever. I'm still glad he was willing to share the experience with me and keep the possibility open.

So, I do have one more thing to add: I know some of you reading this have already experienced the wonderful things yoga can do for your body, your mind, and your spirit. Some of you have tried it, and are not convinced. And, some of you have yet to dip your toes into the vast ocean that is yoga. I urge you, all of you: try it, and try it again. You might not find the style that is right for you immediately. You might not find a teacher you connect with on the first try. Keep on trying; it is SO worth it.

I hope I get the opportunity to teach you, or to learn from you, or both.

Om, shanti-
Cheryl