I'm almost finished the second front piece. The paper strip for the buttons is working like a charm. I thought there were seven but actually there are nine. Apparently, I can't count. I guess that makes it "good" that I forgot the yarn yesterday and couldn't pick up buttons at Fabricland although I don't think there were any to pick up. We tried a few options against the bolt of plaid fabric the skirt is made from and they were either too pink or too brown or too glitzy or too something. I know it's personal, but choosing buttons can be a lot of work and it's way more difficult without any real selection. I'll look at black or navy blue or something else along that line when I go back on Wednesday. Kyle has another exam to be picked up from. I'll - hopefully - take this button piece so I can button them through and see what I think.
I know I don't have to explain how fabric ended up coming home with me. You know how it goes. We have lots, we know we don't need anymore, we plan to use what we have, and even so, we're seduced by the pattern or the feel or the color and we buy it anyway. I do have a problem with fabric - VBG - but as far as addictions go, this is a fairly innocent pleasure especially right now when virtually everything else is off bounds. I'm not eating out; I'm buying fabric - LOL.
I've already admitted being a sucker for paisley. This grey one is GORGEOUS. It has a lovely smooth feel without being slippery. There's a slight "stick" to the fabric that will make it easy to sew with. I think visions of this blouse the Selfish Seamstress showed on her blog were dancing in my head. It looks wonderful on her. I don't get the Burda fashion magazine so I'll check my (extensive) stash of patterns for something similar... first... and then we'll see. Next to fabric, patterns are my downfall, and then books, and then yarn BUT as I talked about in another post, all of these buy more time to read or sew or knit them. It's money invested twice. I like that.
The other two fabrics were a dark, flowing denim with a slight bit of lycra for a gored skirt and a polyester rayon lycra blend, fine wale corduroy, in black bought for the Vogue jacket I showed yesterday along with a bit more for a skirt to go with. It has lovely drape.
Yesterday was a milestone moment. I experimented and made broccoli soup - completely from scratch - using only what I already know and my nose - almost like a textile art piece. I started and went one step at a time asking myself what next and what if. I've decided that in order to learn to cook from scratch, I have to treat this in a similar manner by listening to my "inner cook" and trusting the process.
Using the blender, I chopped cooked broccoli into rice milk, added some pureed cashews to make it creamy, and spiced with salt, pepper, cumin, dill, and coriander. As I was smelling all the spices and trying to decide what seemed to blend with the mix, I find myself wondering "what if I added a touch of cinnamon". That's HUGE. Probably the first experimental cooking thought I've ever had. I didn't. The soup is so yummy right now that I decided to wait and try it when I get down to the last bowlful.
Gaylen wrote: I'm enjoying your journey with foods
LOL - that made me burst out laughing. I'm glad you are. I alternate between extreme frustration and tears which is why the soup was such a big deal - a happy, successful, I can do this moment and it actually tastes great. I could serve it to company.
With all that I'm allergic to - barley, oat, rye, and wheat, all corn products and derivatives, all soy products and derivatives, carrots, lettuce, onions, peppers, bananas, oranges, pineapple, peaches, plantains, casein, cheese, cows milk, lactose, garlic, peppers, eggs, chicken, lamb, clams, halibut, scallops, shrimp, baker's yeast, candida, yeast mix, and MSG - I have to eat new foods, cook without cans, packages, or mixes, and discover new flavours. I love hot spicy food so, if anyone knows how to do that without peppers, please let me know. I can have black pepper.
Barb is leaving today. I am REALLY going to miss her. It's been such a gift to have her here this weekend. She came for the exhibit opening and the timing was fabulous for this new hurdle in my life. She's kept me sane. Being a food scientist, she already knows so much and that combined with her let's just try it and see attitude and her ability to do research (and understand all the garbly gook) has helped me transition past the completely shell shocked and overwhelmed stage into something slightly less and moving forward. I woke up this morning to a chocolate cake on the counter. I can hardly wait to see what it tastes like.
Today, more knitting. I'm focused on finishing this sweater before going on to anything new knitting or sewing wise. There are about two inches left to knit before joining the pieces for the collar band. We'll see how it goes. I've prewashed the three fabrics I bought yesterday. I'm ready to start tracing the pattern and prepping for the jacket. AND... I have to think of something for supper. Today is turkey on my rotation plan.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - feeling more positive
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Personal Growth - But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us - see that you also excel in this grace of giving. - 2 Corinthians 8:7 - - - - Remember this: whoever sows sparingly, will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously, will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. - 2 Corinthians 9:6 and 7
The sermon series has been on giving based on the book The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. I have a giving nature so on one level, it's not difficult for me to give. When something like Haiti happens, I don't ask IF I should give. Of course I should give and as generously as possible. I heard about a homeless man in our town who came into the Salvation Army with $1.47. That's all he had and he wanted to help. OMGosh. So inspiring.
On another level, I can get resentful and withdraw and hold tight especially when people are disrespectful, demanding, or unappreciative. I have experienced this most often when I was teaching and in terms of knowledge and expertise. I have been asked to donate my art work or my teaching in situations that didn't require a donation and ones that could have paid me a salary. After a lifetime of building up that knowledge, and being in business, I resent someone else's expectation that I should give it away for free. It is too one-sided. I've had to work on these feelings and decide where to give cheerfully, without reluctance or resentment, like with this blog where I give knowledge, support, and encouragement in a way that works for me and hopefully for others too.
On yet another level, I discount the gift. I'm not even aware of giving. Right now, I have several piles of food upstairs in the kitchen designated for specific people who can eat this particular combination of ingredients like Lorraine who gets the bread mix and Sharon who gets the rice crackers with sesame garlic and Marlene who gets the gluten free cake mixes with corn but not soy and Francine who gets the ones with soy. Every year when I clean my house and studio, I give away stuff to individuals or charities. This comes so naturally to me that I don't often see it as giving although it is - especially if I looked at the dollar value which is quite substantial.
AND YET... I found myself wondering do I give enough and then it occurred to me that if I have to ask the question, doesn't that tell me the answer? An interesting thought to ponder.
I can so completely indentify with your comments about giving--both the joyful freedom and the unhappy withholding. I look at that same thing in myself over and over again.
ReplyDeleteKatie
Myrna, you're doing so well with your journey with food!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was tested, I was found to be allergic to so many foods that I can't even do a rotation diet! Add to that my gastric bypass surgery with secondary total intolerance to milk and sugar! It's a huge challenge for sure.
I wish you great success in your journey and hope you feel much, much better!
Gail
You haven't mentioned potatoes, in "cream" soups I have learned to use one or two potatoes as the thickener in stead of milks or cheeses, it works very well for me. The other thing is, if you can tolerate black pepper, perhaps you can tolerate other pepper seeds, rather than the flesh of the pepper, chipotle? or this hot pepper flakes like what they serve with pizza or pastas at the 'better' pizza joints??
ReplyDeleteOh, and as to your thoughts on giving -- I too have recently felt some resentment on giving -- seems those closest to me don't appreciate a set of cloth napkins and have no idea of the time or cost put into them and I realize I should have spent 10 bucks on paper ones, then there is the long lost neice of a cousin who has asked me to make her a double bed size quilt, because I gave her sister a afghan years ago -- this one knows the time and cost but feels she is OWED a quilt! One doesn't appreciate and the other does but wants it as a gift---so I wonder, do I give too much to the wrong people? and not enough to the right ones???
ReplyDelete