Dealing with the Mother Lode

Gluten-free.  That is my world now.  Being one who loves both to bake and to eat bread, this has been a seismic shift in my life.  It has been about two weeks since I made the change and there has been a very noticeable improvement in how I feel physically, and emotionally I am starting to be hopeful that there is life after wheat. 

My first bit of encouragement was coming up with a wheat-free granola.  Granola has been part of my breakfast six out of seven days each week for a very long time and to loose this bit of comfort was very distressing.  

Next was finding out that there is such a thing as wheat-free soy sauce and from there finding a wheat-free Worcestershire sauce, thus enabling me to keep several dinner recipes.  A decent gluten-free pasta was another encouraging find.  Since my husband developed an intolerance to dairy products a few years ago, I had already done some major reworking of our diet, so the prospect of eliminating yet more recipes was a bit disheartening.  Every little thing I find that helps me keep things in place is so very appreciated.  I must also say thanks to all who have traveled this road before me and have worked both to find or create gluten-free products and recipes.

Today is my first foray into actual wheat-free baking.  First up:  pancakes.  They look like pancakes.  The taste is pretty good, too.  The texture is just something I will have to get used to, I guess.  Gluten is what gives wheat that great cohesiveness when making bread.  Other flours tend to have a rather grainy texture.  Xanthan gum is an ingredient that helps create a measure of cohesiveness, but it can't quite match wheat.  Still, not bad for a first go.

I have found, too, comfort in the fact that I can still make bread with wheat, since my husband can still enjoy it.  There is just something satisfying with working with the dough, and taking golden brown rolls or loaves out of the oven.  If, over time, I find I can tolerate a bit of bread now and then, so much the better.

Springing Forward

Spring is making its show around here and the weather has been lovely.  We had more rain yesterday, just as things were starting to get a little dry--a nice soft, soaking rain it was, too.  I am glad to be having some warmer weather as well.  

The shawl projects continue to hum along.  I recently finished the Colorway Shawl and have had opportunity to wear it once.  It is definitely going to be one of my favorite accessories. 

The next shawl on my needles is called Misty Morning.  The yarn is variegated, which can look rather streaky in certain patterns, but this pattern breaks up the color nicely.  Here is a little preview.

This spring I am "sort of" a college student.  The Tolkien Professor is sharing his spring class on Tolkien in his podcast and I am enjoying it thoroughly.  I have my text books:  Tales from the Perilous Realm, The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I have the reading schedule for the semester printed out and I am downloading the lectures each week.  We read two short stories from Tales and I have an essay I need to go back and catch up on.  The Silmarillion is next--quite a stout read, so the lectures are extremely helpful.  And, oh gee, I have to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.  Such a burdensome assignment! ;-)  This is the way I always wished literature class would be--great stories, interesting lectures, no papers, and no tests.  Not only that, but I can pace the class according to my schedule, so there are no deadlines either--well, the library books do have a due date, but that is pretty generous. I am a happy student!

Hot Tropics

Here is the second of the UFO's that I have completed for the quilt group I attend.  In addition to making quilts for those in our church congregation dealing with serious illnesses, we are also doing some child-size quilts for children's home/shelter that has family care for women coming out of abusive situations.  Hot Tropics is the first of those quilts for me.

The twelve blocks you see in the quilt were what I originally found in one of the tubs containing unfinished projects.  It is fun to wonder on the one hand what the original maker may have had in mind and then to take what is started and see what I can create with it.  

The sashing between the blocks is made of three strips--black with purple in the middle--with pink squares at the join.  A triple border of purple, turquoise, and black completes the top.  Probably the most enjoyable part of making this quilt was the quilting.  Here are some pictures of the details:

 

The border has geckos and bugs done in a turquoise/pink variegated thread which was used for all the quilted motifs.

The blocks have a large flower design that echos the pattern in one of the block fabrics.

 

The pink blocks are quilted with a small leaf motif--I love leaves so I tend to gravitate to that design.  

One of things that I am enjoying about these making these quilts is the idea of creating a kid- friendly design that will span the course of many years.  I hope the geckos make them smile, that the colors cheer a somber day, and that the warmth is comforting.  There may not be much left of it after many years of loving, but that thought makes me smile.

 

The Unexpected

Three days ago it was warm enough to wear short sleeves, then yesterday morning as I put my breakfast dishes by the sink, I happened to look up a the window above the blinds in our living room.  To my surprise the roof was white and snow was falling.

 

Large clumps of flakes were falling, making for a lovely sight.  

As you can see, it was falling quite heavily

 

 

It continued on through the morning and into the afternoon, and just when I thought it was over, another heavy snow began to fall.

 

 

By late afternoon we had a lovely white landscape.

On Keeping a Clean House

Since all my latest projects are in progress, I thought I would use this post to talk a little about what I do with the rest of my time.  I am a career homemaker, and I love my job.  No, I don't get a thrill from scrubbing toilets or dusting shelves, but I do enjoy keeping our home in order.  Homemaking has gotten a bad rap the past several decades and I am sorry for that.  In the midst of recognizing that women have the ability to do many things outside the home, it is a shame that the energy, intelligence, and skill that goes into homemaking was not appreciated as well.  

I have always loved domesticity, even as a child.  When our children came along, and especially when we started home schooling, I discovered that I also love organizing.  There is a certain satisfaction that comes from taking a disordered space and making it functional and attractive.  To me, that is what housework is all about--making a home function well for whatever particular activities a family has, and making it a welcoming space not only for the family, but also for all who come to visit.  When people first come into my home, they usually do comment that our home is clean or organized, but after that it fades into the background which is just as it should be.  

One of the negative comments about housework is that it is mindless activity.  I have two thoughts on that:  What job doesn't have mindless, tedious parts to it?  And just because a task doesn't require thought, it doesn't mean the mind has to be idle.  House work affords me opportunity to listen to music or podcasts (while dusting or cleaning), watch a movie (while ironing), or just to think about things I have read or heard (while vacuuming).  I plan letters or this blog post, make phone calls while folding laundry, and sometimes I pray while I work.  

I have always been so thankful that my husband has valued my work at home.  He works very hard to take care of us, and I see it as an honor to take good care of him.  He in turn encourages me in my creative endeavors.  

I may not make any money in my career, but it certainly has its own rewards.

 

This post actually belongs in January, but a minor software glitch kept me from being able to upload my photos from my camera.  That problem is now resolved, so here is my belated tale.  While on a weekend trip to see our extended family, my daughter-in-law and I took time to make a visit to our favorite yarn shop.  It is bit of a drive, so we have opportunity for some good conversation along with happy fiber indulgence.  Here are the treasures I found on this expedition:

 

This lovely specimen is a wool-cotton blend that my daughter-in-law had also used to make a very comfy and pretty hat.  If imitation is truly the best form of flattery, then I must blame holding said hat in the presence of said yarn and yielding to the call.  Since hats are small projects, they make a good opportunity to get to know a new yarn, so these skeins are destined for hathood.  

 

 

It is hard to tell from the photo, but this yarn is a lovely green version of a yarn I had previously purchased and used to make a shawl.  Being an acrylic-wool blend, I was initially skeptical of using a yarn that acrylic in it.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised at the nice feel and drape of the fabric it made, so another shawl project is on the to do list.

 

Finally, this gorgeous, scrumptious skein is a new line in one of my favorite yarn brands, and yes, those are little sparkles of silver in the yarn.  This will also be a shawl, for shawls are my favorite thing to knit and my favorite way to wear my knitting.  

And just so no one get the idea that I am all yarn and no knitting, here is a picture of my latest, guess what?  A shawl, of course.  

 

Fresh Beginnings

I like January.  It is much the same sentiment I had when starting school each year.  The notebooks were new, the textbooks unread, and I usually had some new outfits to wear.  The holidays consumed most of my time and energy, and we had a wonderful time with family and friends.  Now the new year has started and I am glad to be back to the regular routine.  All the spread sheets I use are in order.  I have tweaked my schedule for the hundred millionth time (no snickering from the peanut gallery, kiddos). The house is pretty much back in order again, and I have some fun projects to look forward to. 

There is one thing especially I have learned over the past few years that I want to be sure to keep in view in the year ahead.  As a task-oriented, non-spontaneous, organized person, I need to keep in mind that people are always more important than tasks.  In tweaking my schedule, I wanted to be sure to have enough flex in my day to stay connected to those I love and have time for opportunity to build relationships.  So as much as I enjoy the rhythm of routine, and anticipate time to work on projects, I want to always make time for the people in my life.  My family and my friends are my most precious treasures.

So Happy New Year, a bit belatedly, and many blessings to each of you in the coming year!