WIPs

Evidently I have a "hands & feet" fetish because everything I have on the needles is on DPNs and either mitts or socks. I knew as soon as I finished grafting the toe of my training sock that it wouldn't be long before I had a life-size one cast on. I'm knitting it in Lion Wool-Ease worsted as a salve to my patience, or lack of it, plus the floor at the dive shop is freezing and my feet usually are too. I can use all the wooly socks I can get.




Don't know who the yellow mittens are for but I couldn't resist the combo of screaming yellow Paton's Melody and the Moda Dea Cheri in green (which is really a mix of yellow, turquoise, lt. blue, and green, and discontinued evidently). They'll keep somebody's hands warm--and awake.







And, of course, I have to feed my Forbidden Love (scroll down) addiction. I love 'em!

Hope everyone's staying warm. It's -3 here right now. Brrrr.

Ridged Bonnet

One week from today we'll be waking up in Bonaire on our first morning. Yikes! All I see right now is all I have to do to get to that point. My stomach is in knots.

"Necklace, Mister? Only fifteen guilders." Jack pushed away the dark brown hand that thrust the shell necklace at him. One look at his face and the middle-aged woman vendor withdrew her hand and took a step back. His eyes, icy blue and darting from side to side, kept everyone at bay. It was obvious he was searching for someone and everyone who saw him as he threaded a path through the dawdling cruise ship passengers in Queen Wilhelmina park across from the Town Pier was glad he wasn't looking for them. He smoked the harsh island cigarettes one after another. Just another reason to wreak revenge on Manning, Jack thought. Eight years of not smoking and within a month on this God-forsaken outpost of an island, he was back smoking over a pack a day. Damned Manning. And damned Mona for nagging him about it.

The plot thickens, or the characters emerge, or some such cliche. Are you writing? See you tomorrow night.
--Barbara

Chogogo

Took the tree down today and all the ornaments are put away. Not my favorite job. The sunshine today was nice too.

Sharon stood in the shallows glaring at the horizon, the blood warm salt water caressing her skin. It was nearly sunset. She felt the last golden rays painting their heat on her skin and tugging reluctant tears from her eyes. The color of the water changed with each passing moment from the bright turquoise of full day to the color it was right then, a rich navy blue. The ever-present tradewinds had stopped and the water's surface was barely rippled like the best silk taffeta of her favorite cocktail dress. Cocktails. What a good idea. She was sure she had enough time to make another pitcher of planter's punch before Diego came back from his mysterious errand.

See you Thursday.
--Barbara

A New Year Contest

Kay over at Mason-Dixon Knitting has posted a contest.
She's calling it: The Grandma Mabel Memorial Recipe Box Show & Tell Contest

This is my late MIL's recipe box, a plain metal box from the office supply store, but inside there is treasure. The family's favorite recipe is for Never Fail Coffee Cake. It came in her Illinois Power & Light bill in the middle-30s or 40s, I think, and was an instant hit. It's sure to draw even the most dedicated dieter to the table.

NEVER-FAIL COFFEE CAKE

4 cups flour
2lb. oleo/margarine (I use ButterUp)
Cut oleo into flour as for pie crust

Mix in 1 pkg. dry yeast, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup sugar.

Separate yolks and whites of 3 eggs. Set whites aside, keep at room temperature.

Beat the yolks, add 1 cup milk and mix into the dry ingredients. Cover with plate or cloth and refrigerate overnight.

FILLING: whip egg whites and gradually add 2 cup sugar until stiff.

When ready to bake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into as many as four parts. Roll each part fairly thin. Butter dough lightly to 1" from all edges. Divide filling into the same number of parts as dough. Spread filling over dough, then sprinkle with brown sugar and shake cinnamon over the whole mess. Roll up, jelly roll style, seal edges with water and pinch. Place on baking sheet. Let rise awhile (about an hour). Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees--watch it--take out when light brown. Frost if desired.

You can do all sorts of things with it. Mix jam with the egg whites, add nuts or raisins. I also sometimes used canned apples but always went back to the plain brown sugar filling. When rolling up the dough see that the edges are sealed; otherwise the sugar runs out when melted.
If you make 3 or 4 small ones, freeze the others AND remember your figure.

I'm quite sure this is the entire recipe. I might wake up in the middle of the night and remember something else. Cutting the oleo into the flour gives it the flakiness. I've seen this same recipe where the oleo is melted in the milk and the sugar is dissolved as well and it isn't the same texture at all. Frosting is just powdered sugar, a bit of milk and vanilla if you want.

Good luck & Happy Eating!
(The italicized parts are Don's Mom's notes to him when she sent the recipe.)

Happy New Year!

Well, I almost managed to stay awake until the turning of the year. Okay, I was asleep by 11, but it was midnight somewhere then. We had a quiet evening of good food and a little reminiscing. Hope your year is satisfying and productive and just a little adventurous. I'll post writing later--after I write.

--Barbara

Out With the Old...

No time to write a longer post today. The library closes at noon. I thought for sure they'd stay open until 5:00. Oh well. I don't work today, so I'm thinking about heading over to Kavarna to drink coffee and read all afternoon. Whoo hoo! Happy New Year, to you and Don. If you see Jenny, wish her Happy New Year from me.

Bob;-)

Plumeria

Hmm, interesting quote you posted yesterday, Bob. It's difficult to quantify an artistic life. I got an email from the Nano folks last week. They've set up a Big, Fun, Scary Adventure Challenge for the year to encourage people to keep challenging themselves. I've signed on (you know I'm a sucker for that kind of team stuff) and my goals are to start and complete the final edit of Horizon and to knit a sweater, not knit on a sweater but to actually knit one that I can wear by Sept. 1. I already have the pattern, just need to afford the yarn; that'll be after Bonaire.

Have a Happy New Year! We're planning to make ourselves a nice supper and celebrate quietly.

The sun was high when Mona finally awoke and squinted her way out to the patio. Maria was in the kitchen clattering pots around but she took a moment to carry a mug of fresh-made coffee out and set it silently on a palm fiber mat on the glass-topped table. Her fingers rested ever so fleetingly on Mona's shoulder as she turned to go back to her work. Tears sprang to Mona's eyes at the simple gesture. The news of Jack's death must be all over the island, she thought. In the center of the table sat a clear glass bowl half filled with water; three flowers floated on the surface, their yellow centers looking like a pinwheel of yolk in a fried egg. The petals were so waxy she had to touch them to see if they were real. She had the feeling that nothing would seem real for a time until she was allowed to leave the island and begin building a new life on the shreds of the old one that had died with Jack.

Let's make 2008 a real writing year!
--Barbara