I Didn't Sew After All...

...I just knit and snacked the afternoon away.  Thank goodness for Durwood.  When I was making up the last batch of 100 calorie snack packs for us to taste test he suggested that I weigh each ingredient individually, in ounces or grams whichever worked better being divided by 7 (because that's how many packs the recipes say they make--one per day perhaps?), and then make them up by weight so there'd be some of each in each pack.  He's so smart; I think I'll keep him.  About the snack packs, I found them online, some from Women's Health and some from Weight Watchers; they're way cheaper DIY than store-bought and I can control what's in them, plus making them keeps me occupied for a while, plus I'd rather make stuff than buy stuff.  I find that I like the crunchy and salty ones more than the sweet ones.  Go figure.  I feel an addiction to Cheez-Its reduced fat crackers coming on, but pretzels are running a close second.  It's kind of a pain to count them out--20, 21, 22--but I'm willing and I've got a crapton of ziplock snack bags from Mom's stuff.  Hmm, I should go to the dollar store to see if they have snack bags with those sliders, those are faster and easier to close, plus dollar store = cheaper than Ziplock or Glad.  Yesterday I made honey crunch snacks with ersatz honey nut Cheerios (the Aldi brand), broken pretzel sticks (also Aldi brand), and sliced almonds; chocolate Chex with dried cherries; pretzel sticks; Cheez-Its; almonds; and pistachios.  Do you know that you get more pistachios than almonds for 100 calories?  You do.  I was amazed too until I realized that almonds are about twice the size of pistachios.  *head, palm*  Anyway, today's Photo a Day theme is "calm" so I took a picture of the anklet sock cuff and heel I knit yesterday and a selection of snack packs because knitting and snacking made me calm yesterday.  I sat on the sofa watching the Olympics, knitting, and snacking--who says I'm not calm?  Hmm?  Turns out I really did get stung.  My arm ached like I'd gotten a shot, still does a bit, and I've got a swelling the size of a jumbo olive on my palm.  See?  But I'm not allergic so no worries.  It doesn't even hurt at the site, there're just twinges up my arm every once in a while.  Venom, gotta love it.

July 30--England, Quilt.  The stars made crazy quilt patterns in the blue black sky.  Not one cloud marred the perfection of the night.  Jane lay on her back on the quilt that she'd carried into the meadow.  She was willing to risk mosquitoes and chiggers for the time under the infinite night.  Far in the distance a coyote yipped its hunting cray and an old wooden screen door slammed in one of the lake road cabins.  This time of year when the earth teetered between summer and autumn Jane was the happiest.  It was warm during the day but it cooled off enough at night that she was glad to have the quilt on her bed.  The quilt still smelled of Sam.  Some of the pieces were scraps from shirts she'd made for him.  She felt his arms around her, felt his comforting presence when she pulled it over herself night or day.

Now it's time to go shower and dress for another exciting (or dead boring) day at the dive shop.  I've got 2 knitting projects packed and waiting by the door, my Kindle is charged up and holding beaucoup books (most of them free--I'm blown away by all the free books for Kindle, all kinds of books, you should check them out, you can get a Kindle app for your laptop or desktop or iPad or Android, you know, and then get the free books to read on there, did I mention FREE?) and 6 Audible books (they're 2 freebies for signing up and 4 "gifts to our members," I'll be cancelling my membership soon before they charge me $14.95 for one credit/book), and my iPod Touch is charged up too with 3 or 4 library books (free!) downloaded and ready to amuse me so I won't be unamused.  There's always the 'net too if I'm so inclined.  Web surfing, woohoo!  Hasta la vista, babies.
--Barbara