Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Knitting Frenzy


I spent the last two months knitting.  It was absolutely wonderful, painful, all consuming.  I made a bunch of these.

I made a boyfriend hat and a matching calorimetry.

I made two pair of these, one in green wool for my best sister as seen here and one pair for My Handsome Prince in orange alpaca wool blend, luxurious.

Now it's time for me, love this luscious blend from Dragonfly fibers.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Mmmmmm, Pork


We walked in and immediately the hostess asked if we were there for the Pork Dinner, to which we answered yes.  As we walked through the bar, Linda from behind the bar smiled and said "Hey guys, good to see you again!"  We walked upstairs and Olivia was at the top of the steps, another smile, another glad you are here.  We've become regulars, which feels good.  We were seated at a table for 4 so knew we would have dinner companions.  We had wondered how they would host this dinner.  Within a few minutes, James and Brian sat at our table.  The room was full, loud, animated, anticipatory.  Sam, the owner, brewmaster,  made his rounds, greeting everyone, spending a bit of time at every table.  Jason, the manager, made some announcements, some introductions, and the dinner began.

First Course, a charcuterie platter, three types of dried meats on baguette with a sampling of beer with each variety, my favorite being a chorizo served with none other than a 90 minute IPA

Second Course, a spinach salad, with toffeed pecans, chorizo,mango dressing paired with a full glass of 60 minute IPA

Third Course, warm dates stuffed with goat cheese, wrapped with proscuitto, fresh sprouts on top, and sweet balsamic vinegar trailing the plate, a small surprise sampling of Life and Limb, the collaboration of Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada, and a small glass of Indian Brown Ale

Fourth Course, garlic infused bacon wrapped around a pork tenderloin, served on a bed of bacon grits, crunchy fried onions on top, served with a glass of Raison D'Etre, oh and a shot of peanut butter, bacon vodka, a salute to Elvis

And lastly, chocolate bacon cheesecake served with a snifter of World Wide Stout

Is that enough pork for you?  I think My Handsome Prince ate every bit, with the exception of a small piece of chocolate dipped bacon which we brought home to Audrey.  Me, not so much, although I did some damage.

Our dinner companions were delightful, conversation easy and pleasant, talking of various things.  They gave us some great tips on local food.  We exchanged emails, facebook, cell, and blog information.  I hope to see them again.

The theme next month is Indian cuisine.  It's a possibility.  We left after chatting up the chef and the organizer, Olivia said she hoped she would see us before Christmas.  We told her we'd see her next week, we still have Dogfish Head theme shopping to do and growlers to pick up.

Pork is usually a favorite when camping.  I think chocolate dipped bacon will be on the menu next trip.  Who knew it could be so good?

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

I Give Thee Thanks


My Handsome Prince and another year of clean scans

Cute Puppies

Walks in the woods, on the beach, and in the neighborhood

Evidence of mixed families

Precious baby girls

Dogfish Head and being a local

Fun

And games

A clean slate and the ability to make decisions


For Inspiration in unexptected places


Smiling, serving, selfless soldiers


For unexpected delights

A cup o' joe

Puppy love

My incredible, inspiring, growing daughters
Friends, new and old
A community of people
Gracious family hosts and guests
The bond of Sisters
The worry of Mothers
The experiences of music
And for much more, I give Thee Thanks.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Every Girl Needs Her Mommy Sometimes

We talked on the way to the Doctor's office.  We talked in the waiting room.  We talked in the examining room, over a hot lunch, waiting for a prescription, getting blood work done and all the way back to her apartment.  We spoke of room mate drama, past and present, of protests, of holiday plans, of classes, of day to day minutiae.  We were still talking as I made the long trek back home and she was in her apartment.  I complained about the traffic.  She said "Thanks for coming to take care of me Mommy.  I am sorry you are stuck in traffic."  I responded, "I had a nice afternoon Emma Girl, I am sorry you are sick."  And then she cried, I suspect it was with relief that she could relinquish the responsibility of making decisions for a brief period of time and to be in the hands of her Mommy for just a bit.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Glimpse

Last night I caught a glimpse of my future.  My Handsome Prince and I in our separate favorite seating in the living room, watching a movie as my cell phone constantly went off with text messages from our daughters.  Me, knitting, him on the computer looking for a car, pursuing our separate hobbies together in our home, void of the physical presence of our daughters, yet always on our minds.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Quality vs Quantity

There is something truly to be said about quality time versus quantity time.  My sister loaded up four year old 'bino, the two dogs, met my Father somewhere along the beltway and drove the 3 hours to meet me.  We opted to meet at Cape Henlopen State Park, a favorite, and now only 30 minutes away for me.  This way the dogs could run and 'bino could play in the sand.  And that is what we did.


The Campground was quiet and empty.  Li'l Sis and I both remarked that we wished we were camping.

We went to the "doom" where Sambino jumped

and jumped and got sand in his pockets

No time together is complete without a self portrait

We went to Herring Point aka The Dog Beach

It was windy

We climbed rocks

The dogs posed

I climbed and posed

Quality Mother Daughter Time

My Dad - this one speaks for itself

And then we went into town

Where a stop at the toy store is a must for children and adults alike

And then it was time to go, time for them to go home, time for Audrey to go to school, time to get back to our regular lives.


Monday, November 16, 2009

The Storm

The rain and wind started Thursday.  I called Mom advising her to check the weather and road conditions before she started across the bridge.  She arrived late afternoon Thursday, flustered.  It was a bad drive.  Because I had barely left the house all day, I sent Audrey to school that evening and regretted it immediately after she left.  So much so that My Handsome Prince and I went to pick her up after class and drive her car home for her.  While we were gone, the volunteer fire alarm went off so of course Mom could not rest until all were safe at home.  By Friday, the rain had subsided and we ventured into Rehoboth to pick up the necessities, sock yarn, growlers of Dogfish Head beer, and the makings of molasses cookies.   I was advised not to try to get into work in Bethany as Rt 1 was closed from Rehoboth to Bethany and Rt. 26 had a lot of standing water. We had a lovely visit, knitting, baking, shopping, watching movies, web surfing, laughing, talking.  On Saturday, we ventured into town, this is what we encountered:

one entrance closed - Pennsylvania Avenue remained closed on until Sunday and even then....


submerged wooden walkway


floaters from the post office
These are just a few images from the Conference Center.  After checking the chapel and Campbell Hall, we ventured to the beach. 


Beach devestation


We thought we were prepared for the water with our cute boots from a well known store but little did we know that they were not water tight.  Audrey actually poured water out of her boot.   As Li'l Sis says, cute is overrated.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Morning Walk
















Walk time


Abondonded in pursuit of something better?

Artsy fartsy shoppy shop gathering place location?

Mmmm, huevos con chorizo

Waiting for the light to change

Making friends

Love this

And this

Home, where the leaves are just changing color and falling

Monday, November 09, 2009

A Beautiful Day in November


We went to the beach today, just for a bit.  What a luxury to go to the beach for just a bit.  I think I'll go back tomorrow.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

A Sense of Accomplishment

My house is empty, with the exception of a donut we left in the microwave and my season at the Conference Center is officially over.  And that's all I have to say about that.

Saturday, November 07, 2009

Moving Moments

We arrived last night to our house on Deep Run.  I brought my laptop and my knitting with the intent of watching a movie and knitting.  The house was COLD.  It looked cold, empty, void of anything personal and the heat was not on.  I was grouchy as my sun room was finally finished, after I moved out.  Why do we wait until someone else is going to take ownership to finish things?  So we went to bed, sleeping on opposite ends of the L shaped sofa, the only piece of furniture left, talking.  Sort of like when we moved in to this house, moving everything we owned into the basement, all 4 of us sharing the king size mattress that was crammed in between our belongings,  for weeks as we gutted the main floor.  I have no real feeling of sadness or remorse about this place on Deep Run as it is not my house anymore.  It bears none of my marks, except for the pins I found in the carpet in the basement.  The house in Dagsboro is home now, with the clumps of dog fur on the hard wood floors, the potpourri scent of Santa Maria Novella in the living room, the basket of knitting by the chair, the dog leashes in the bowl by the front door, the sound of the tv coming from Audrey's room, the glow of the computer set up off our bedroom, the many visits from family and friends.  These are just a few of the things that are making our new house our home.

Friday, November 06, 2009

WANTED

New BFF - Please be advised this is a position being created not a replacement position. 
Location: the closer, the better, within a few miles is ideal especially for impromptu cups of coffee, project sharing or the inevitable borrowing of a cup of sugar or an egg, but even a distance of 20 miles is acceptable.
Qualifications:  Must be creative and practice either knitting, rug hooking, sewing, quilting, embroidery, photography or fitness.  Of course, being proficient in other art/craft forms is a bonus.  As a counter balance, it would be good for applicant to like gardening, home decorating, and cooking or baking. Applicant should have a good sense of humor as laughter will be a large part of the job, along with a few tears, so sensitivity is also a necessary quality.  Strength, to rein me in when I tackle to much and patience when I go on a tirade of a subject that I am passionate about are important qualities.  Applicant should be resistant to obnoxious behavior and a loud voice.  Roadtrips are an occasional job requirement, usually to some sort of shop, bar, restaurant, or concert.   Music, books, beer and coffee.  Need I say more?  Most of all, applicant should have an open mind and open heart and have the ability to open mine too, patience to develop this position for it may take a while to determine the parameters and a friendly smile. 

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Mug Club


Proud, card carrying members of the Dogfish Head Mug Club, oh yeah.