Amanda's Happy Hearth

Black-Eyed Pea Soup

2012-01-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

This is a great way to eat black-eyed peas. Even folks who think they hate black-eyes like it. Serve it with cornbread, for a New Year's meal.

BLACK-EYED PEA SOUP

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen black-eyed peas (or fresh)
1 med. onion, cut into 1/16ths
1 lg. carrot, diagonally sliced, 1/8”
6 cups water
2 cups tomato juice (or 15 oz. tomato sauce)
2 tsp. salt (more to taste)
2 tsp. dried thyme
10 shakes Tabasco sauce
2 lg. tomatoes, diced (or 15 oz. can)

In a large soup pot, Combine ingredients, except fresh tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered, until peas are tender (about 30-40 minutes).

Turn off heat, add fresh tomatoes, and cover until ready to serve.

Serves 8

Cornbread

2012-01-04T11:56:00.000-08:00

Everybody loves this cornbread. After about 10 years of trying various recipes, I found one that was good enough to stick with. It's a moist, sweet cornbread like my grandmother used to bake. When we gave up eggs, I developed this eggless version of Fanny Farmer's "Rich Corn Cake." It's great served with chili, or with black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

CORNBREAD

1 cup yellow cornmal
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. egg replacer
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream (milk can be substituted)
2/3 cup milk
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Butter a 9”x9” pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and mix thoroughly with a wire whisk.

In another bowl, mix the melted butter into the sour cream. Blend in the milk. Pour the sour cream mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, mixing quickly. Spread into the buttered pan.

Bake until browned on top, about 30-40 minutes.

Serves 6 - 8

Note: to make cornbread crumbs for stuffing, bake in a 10” x 15” jelly roll pan for 15-20 minutes, or until browned on top. It yields about 8 cups of crumbs.

Adapted from Fanny Farmer's Rich Corn Cake recipe.

Stir-Fried Spinach

2012-01-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

This is an easy veggie for a holiday meal. Grinding the sesame seeds is optional, but it does make the seeds' nutrients more accessible when eaten.

STIR-FRIED SPINACH

spinach leaves, well-washed
olive oil
sesame seeds
salt

(use amounts needed for your guests)

Using a mortar and pestle, lightly grind the sesame seeds (about 1/2 tsp. per serving).

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil (about 1/2 tsp. per serving) on med-low heat. Add the spinach and sesame seeds, and shake in some salt. Stir-fry until the spinach wilts a bit.

Serve immediately.

Vegetarian Mince Pie

2012-01-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

There's no mincemeat in this pie! It's basically a highly spiced pear and raisin pie, which tastes great with whipped cream or ice cream.

Here's what a friend of mine has to say about mincemeat pie:

"We always had mincemeat pie at Christmas, but my father sort of spoiled it by telling me that mince were fuzzy little critters that lived in burrows along streams. Although Mother indignantly denied that, I was a little less fond of the pie for awhile."

MINCE PIE

1-1/2 lb. ripe pears (about 3 med.) peeled, cored, & diced
6 oz. raisins
2 oz. sweetened dried cranberries (or golden raisins, etc.)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. flour (as a thickener)
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. gr. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. gr. allspice
3/4 tsp. gr. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. gr. cloves

2 unbaked pie crusts, 10” circles
--------
In a large pot, bring all filling ingredients to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 25 - 30 minutes, or until pears have released their juice and the liquid has cooked down a bit and thickened, continuing to stir frequently throughout. Remove from heat and cool while preparing the crusts.

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.

Place one pie crust in the bottom of a deep dish pie pan. Do not trim edges. Use a cookie cutter to make a decorative pattern in the central 6” of the top pie crust dough.

Pour the filling into the lower crust in the pie pan. Carefully place the top crust over the filling and fold edges under. Pinch the upper and lower crusts together around the edge of the pan, and fold inward if needed.

Bake until crust is golden, about 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Makes 1 pie

* Note: you can use underripe pears, and they will taste fine. But the filling must be cooked longer to release the fruit’s juice, and then cooked down. If you don’t do this in the cooking pot, it will happen in the oven, and the pie will be runny.

Adapted from a recipe in Southern Living, Nov. 1998.

Stuffed Cheese & Walnut Loaf

2012-01-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

This is hands-down, my best vegetarian main dish. It blows everyone away when I put a crust on it, en croute. (The photos show the loaf without crust.) Non-vegetarians say they can't tell it's not meat, and the leftovers slice and freeze like a dream. The stuffing is a nice surprise in the middle, too. Serve it with sage gravy, and your guests will be glad they came to your house for dinner!

STUFFED CHEESE AND WALNUT LOAF

1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups chopped walnuts (pecans, cashews, almonds, or mix is okay)
3 Tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
1 med. onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. rubbed or dried sage
1 tsp. dried marjoram
4 oz. cream cheese, cut in chunks
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
8 oz. mild cheese, chopped (cheddar or jack)
1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, cut in 1/2” horizontal strips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 unbaked pie crust, 10-inch circle, optional

Place nuts in a large pan, toast on medium-low heat. Add the butter and black pepper. When butter is melted, add mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt, and herbs, and cook for a few minutes until the water coming out of the mushrooms is cooked down. Turn off heat.

Add the cream cheese and cover. Let sit a few minutes to soften and melt in the pan, then stir. Remove from burner and add the rice, parsley, and cheese. Toss to coat well.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Butter and flour a standard loaf pan (approx. 8-1/2” x 4-1/2”). Place 1/3 of the loaf mixture into bottom of pan. Lay the spinach on top, then sprinkle with cranberries. Pull spinach and berry stuffing away from the sides of the pan. Place more loaf mixture along the sides of the pan, to contain the stuffing by about 1/2 inch all the way around. Add remaining loaf mixture on top, and pat down gently.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top. Remove from oven, and cool in the pan for at least 1 hour. Turn out onto a platter or baking sheet if adding outer crust.

To encase in pastry:

Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Drape a 10” unbaked pie crust over loaf, pinch corners, and cut off excess or fold across the ends. Be sure the seams are pinched shut. Garnish the top with shapes cut out of any excess crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden.

Remove from oven and let sit for about 30 minutes--the longer, the better for slicing.

Serves 8. Slice with a bread knife, and serve with sage gravy.

Chestnut Soup

2012-01-01T07:58:00.000-08:00

This soup has such a wonderful flavor. It's always a hit at our house. If you can't find bottled chestnuts in your local stores, they can be ordered online. It's definitely worth the trouble. One year, I started with chestnuts in the shells--roasting, peeling, and chopping--but the soup didn't come out nearly as well, and the preparation was much more difficult.

Since we're not alcohol drinkers, I keep bottles of cooking wine and sherry in the 'fridge for recipes like this one. This dish can easily be converted from vegetarian to vegan by substituting olive oil for the butter and rice milk for the regular milk.

CHESTNUT SOUP

7 oz. bottled chestnuts (200g), chopped
2 Tbsp. butter
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 lg. carrot, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried chervil
1/2 cup white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup milk (non-dairy is okay)
2 Tbsp. sherry

Melt butter with pepper in a stockpot over med. heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, salt, and herbs. Sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 10 min.

Add wine and stock. Stir in chestnuts. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.

Remove from heat and stir in milk and sherry. Purée in batches.* Return to pot for re-heating. Just before serving, heat soup to desired temperature, covered.

Serves 4 - 8 (4 for main dish, 8 cups for appetizer)

* Note: for a smooth soup, purée with a food processor. Use an immersion blender for a chunkier texture.

Adapted from a recipe in The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins.

A Vegetarian Christmas Dinner

2011-12-31T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here's our Christmas dinner, which as usual is vegetarian and eggless. Most of the dishes can be converted to vegan by using non-dairy alternatives. I will be posting recipes over the next couple of days.

Wassail
Chestnut Soup
Stuffed Cheese & Walnut Loaf
Sage Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Stir-Fried Spinach with Sesame Seeds
Mince Pie
Espresso

Irish Soda Bread

2011-12-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

I must give my daughter credit for this recipe. For years I tried various recipes, producing many Irish soda bricks. Eventually she came up with this winner.

IRISH SODA BREAD

4 cups unbleached flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter
1-3/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut-in the butter.

Stir in the buttermilk (plain milk can be substituted) until the ingredients are combined and doughy. Knead dough a few times to form a non-crumbly mass. Pat into a ball-shape.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten to form a 7” round loaf. With a sharp knife, cut a cross in the top, about 1/4” deep.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until crust is golden-brown. Serve warm.

Serves 8-12

Irish Coffee (nonalcoholic)

2011-12-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

What can I say? We don't drink alcohol, and at dinnertime I use a high-quality decaf coffee for this. It's really good. Try it with Hazelnut Shortbread.

IRISH COFFEE (nonalcoholic)

12 oz. strong black coffee
3/4 tsp. brandy flavoring (or rum flavoring)
1-1/2 tsp. sugar
dollop of sweetened whipped cream

Place sugar and brandy flavoring in the bottom of a large mug or Irish coffee cup. Add coffee, leaving 1-2 inches of space at the top. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Add a dollop of whipped cream on top. Do not stir.

Makes 1 large serving. For an 8-oz. serving, use 1/2 tsp. flavoring and 1 tsp. sugar.

Here’s a toast:
Cream as rich as an Irish brogue
Coffee strong as a fighter’s arm
Sugar sweet as the tongue of a rogue
And whiskey smooth as the wit of the bard.
Good Health!

(still looking to see where I got that version)

Hearty Potato Soup

2011-12-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

We love this chunky, flavorful soup. It's a super-comfort food.

HEARTY POTATO SOUP

2 lbs. potatoes, scrubbed or peeled* & chopped
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 med. leeks, washed & chopped up to 1” above the white part
or 1 med. onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. salt
8 cups vegetable stock
2/3 cups milk (non-dairy is okay)
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, ground in mortar & pestle

Melt butter with pepper in a large pan while preparing potatoes. Add chopped potatoes and cook on med-low heat, stirring often. Add leeks to potatoes, and continue to cook until leeks are soft.

Add salt, stock, milk, and rosemary. Simmer until potatoes are very soft. Mash with a potato masher. Some chunks will remain.

Serves 8

* Note: if using russet potatoes, peel them. The skins of red or white potatoes are fine in this soup, but russet skins are too tough.

Hazelnut Shortbread

2011-12-24T08:28:00.000-08:00

This is a yummy shortbread, which turns out a little chewy from the oats. If you want a classic crisp shortbread, grind the nuts and oats in a food processor. You can substitute other nuts, but the hazelnuts give it a marvelous flavor.

HAZELNUT SHORTBREAD

1/4 cup whole, shelled hazelnuts
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/16 tsp. salt (couple of pinches)

Preheat oven to 325 deg. F.

Spread hazelnuts in a skillet, and heat on med-low until lightly toasted. Place nuts in a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins. If the skins don’t come off, give them more heating time in the skillet. While removing the hazelnut skins, lightly toast the oats in the skillet.

Chop the nuts finely, and combine with the oats.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the hazelnut mixture and vanilla. Blend in flour, cornstarch, and salt. Turn out onto a floured board and knead briefly until smooth.

Brush an 8” stoneware shortbread pan (or cake pan with removable base) with a light coating of vegetable oil. Press the dough into the pan firmly. Prick the entire surface with a fork, and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for about 10 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the shortbread with a knife, and flip the shortbread pan over to turn out—you might have to tap one edge of the pan to help it come out. (Or remove sidewall from cake pan and slide shortbread off the base.)

Cut while still warm. Serves 8.

Adapted from a recipe in Mary Engelbreit’s book, “Christmas with Mary Engelbreit, vol.1."

Yuletide Mulled Wine

2011-12-23T09:36:00.000-08:00

This is a great, warm start to a Yuletide meal. It's especially nice served with some good cheese before dinner.

MULLED WINE

1 bottle red wine (nonalcoholic is okay)
1-2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
1/2” chunk of nutmeg (or 1/8 tsp. ground)
5 allspice berries (or 1/8 tsp. ground)
9 whole cloves (or 1/8 tsp. ground)
1/2 cup honey
cinnamon sticks, dried orange peel, etc. for garnish

Place spices in a spice infuser, tea ball, or cloth bag. If using ground spices, stir them into the lemon juice.

Combine lemon juice, wine, and spices in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in honey.

Serve with a ladle, and garnish with cinnamon stick, dried citrus peel, or your favorite powdered spice.

This can be transferred to a crock pot for serving and keeping warm. You can also serve it in a punch bowl with apple or citrus slices added.

Serves 4

Dinner for Yule

2011-12-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Our Winter Solstice dinner has become a family tradition. Consisting mainly of comfort foods, this meal is not as heavy as the vegetarian Thanksgiving and Christmas fare at our house.

Most of these recipes can be converted to vegan by using non-dairy alternatives instead of butter.

Mulled Wine
Potato Soup
Onion Pie
Irish Soda Bread
Hazelnut Shortbread
Irish Coffee

Veneta Donaldson: "Time of Yule"

2011-12-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

Veneta Donaldson with niece and husband, 1959
This is my aunt's Yuletide poem. She loved this time of year--her house was warm, her tree was draped with tinsel, and wonderful smells drifted from the kitchen. What a joy it was to visit her!

Time of Yule
by Veneta Donaldson

My heart rejoices with delight
In beauty glimpsed at time of Yule
When Heaven's wisdom reigns supreme
And fellowship and goodness rule.
The look upon a little face
At sound of merry tinkling bell,
The depth of faith in eyes grown dim
Through Christmases too sweet to tell,
The crunch of footsteps on the walk
When all the world is strangely quiet,
Heralding the approach of one
Who makes a cherished fireside bright,
The sound of carols, high and clear,
Borne upward by young voices sweet,
A wistful face in window framed
With gaze intent on snow-banked street,
The cheer of holly on a door,
And firelight's gleam like jewels spilled,
The glow of candles in the dusk–
Are mine until my heart is stilled.

This is part of a group of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Christmas Stockings

2011-12-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Just finished a set of stockings. They are all made the same, except each cuff is decorated with different trim for each person. Then a ribbon was added to the hanging loop with the name written in gold glitter-glue-paint-stuff. I also put the trim on both sides, so the stockings can be hung either left-pointing or right-pointing. Here's the set:

1. Fur for Dad-with-a-beard
2. Cuff link for Mr. Diplomat
3. Buttons for Ace-with-a-sewing-machine
4. Jingle bells for Wonderboy
5. Ruffle for Nana

(Ms. Diplomat and Grownup-Wonderboy still have their stockings from when they were little.)

Holiday Cooking

2011-12-08T13:43:00.000-08:00

"Never trust a skinny cook." That's posted at the cafe up the road from us. But here I am, getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

This post is sort of a round-up of my holiday recipes for anyone who is interested. It's all vegetarian, and most can be converted to vegan by substituting olive oil for butter. There are no eggs in any of these recipes.

Black-Eyed Pea Soup
Butterscotch Bark
Chestnut Soup
Hazelnut Shortbread
Holiday Nut Loaf
Irish Coffee
Irish Soda Bread
Maple-Pecan Fried Slaw
Mince Pie
Mulled Wine
Onion Pie
Potato Soup
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Soup
Sage Gravy
Spiced Tea
Stir-Fried Spinach
Stuffed Cheese & Walnut Loaf
Wassail
Whole Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving for Two

2011-11-25T19:57:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever, my son helped cook Thanksgiving dinner. Here's this year's vegetarian menu:

Pumpkin Soup
Holiday Nut Loaf (do not serve from the pan like I did this year)
Maple-Pecan Fried Slaw
Croissants (store-bought)
Jellied Cranberry Sauce (for Michael)
Sparkling Apple Juice
Sage Gravy
Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie (a disastrous experiment)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

How to Make a Greeting Card

2011-10-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

This year, I decided to make and mail Halloween cards to my family. For some unknown reason, I have saved quite a few calendars from past years... I guess I liked the art. My son's old super-hero calendar was perfect for Halloween cards.

Here's how to do it:

1. Choose a picture that can be folded so the focal point looks good on the front. Cut it so the folded card will fit in an envelope. I used 6.5" x 4.75" envelopes that I had on hand.

2. For the liner, get some nice paper that is heavy enough to cover anything that's printed on the back of the card's outer piece. Cut it to exactly the same size as the outer piece.

3. Fold each piece in half, individually.

4. Write your message on the liner. I used a brush marker, which has a long, pointed felt tip. You can make cool writing with these pens by giving a whoosh to each stroke in a letter.

5. Apply double-stick tape to the back of the liner on the fold and on the left and right edges. Try to get the tape all the way out to the edges, from top to bottom. This gives a unified card edge for the recipient to open.

6. Line up the folds on the outer card and liner, and press just the folds together. Then shut the card and smooth it out to stick the edges together.

7. With scissors, trim off any liner that shows on the outside of the card.

FO Friday: Climbing the Wall

2011-10-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

It's FO Friday, and I finished the second fingerless glove last night about 2:00 am. I think this is a great Halloween-season picture.

Since this is my own design and I haven't published the pattern yet, I can't give you a link for how to make it. So sorry about that. I love these gloves, and I make a lot of them. Maybe someday soon, I will get the pattern done.

UPDATE: These were a gift for a very dear friend, and she loves 'em!

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treat-Sock

2011-10-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

It's WIP Wednesday, and here is one finished sock in "Halloween Treats," a fingering weight yarn from Tami (Candy Skein). I love the way it striped differently on the bottom of the heel.

Since this is my basic sock design, which I'm still working the kinks out of, I have not yet published it as a pattern.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treat-Socks

2011-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's WIP Wednesday, and I have just started a Halloween sock. The yarn is "Halloween Treats," the sock of the month yarn from Tami (Candy Skein).

This is my basic sock design, which I have not yet published as a pattern. I think Tami's colorway is coming out like a nice, Halloween tweed. It would even be good for a man's sock. Oh boy, I'd love to have a sweater like this!

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Milk Choco Turban

2011-09-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's WIP Wednesday, and I'm still working on a test Gypsy Turban for the pattern revision. The yarn is from Tami (Candy Skein), and it's called "Milk Chocolate." I'm just now getting into high gear on it, because for the last few days I have been making 2 pair of wristwarmers (in knit and also crochet) for Tami in her "Halloween Treats" colorway--like the ones I made last week, but the new ones will be mailed to Tami for her yarn show in October.

Back to the WIP: I have just revised the knitted Gypsy Turban pattern to be more clear and easy to use, and it's being tested right now. If you'd like to be a tester, just send me your email address, and I'll get a free pattern out to you.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "Picture of Autumn"

2011-09-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson with her husband, c. 1950
In her poetry, my aunt showed an affnity for Autumn. Images of turning leaves appear in many of her poems, and this one is devoted to the season.

Picture of Autumn
by Veneta Donaldson

The morning breaks at my heart's door
And offers wealth beyond compare —
A mist that shines upon the earth
Like gems that bind a woman's hair;
A cloud inlaid with ivory,
Enchanting as a minaret;
A sound from scarlet, feathered throat,
Sweeter than that of castanet;
Sun-burnished leaves along a path,
More beautiful than purest gold.
Throughout my life's swift span of hours
May Autumn share its wealth untold!

This is part of a group of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Additional poems are continued here.

Happy Equinox!

2011-09-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

Our backyard with native plants

WIP Wednesday: Gypsy Turban

2011-09-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I just got my skein of worsted weight yarn in the mail from Tami (Candy Skein). This one is called "Milk Chocolate," and I am going to make a Gypsy Turban with it. I tore open the package a couple of hours ago, and whipped up the gauge swatch.

I have just revised the knitted Gypsy Turban pattern to be more clear and easy to use, and it's being tested right now. If you'd like to be a tester, just send me your email address, and I'll get a free pattern out to you.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Watson: Another Caturday Cat

2011-09-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Our dearly departed big, black cat has been featured as the Caturday cat this week on Wypad's blog, Writing, Yarn, Pucks, & Diapers, here:

http://wypad.wordpress.com/2011/09/17/caturday-september-17/

The picture above features a youngish Watson in my lap with successfully-rocked-to-sleep baby Alix, who was just a few weeks old. Check out my 1980s glasses--gack.

Halloween Treat-Warmers in Crochet

2011-09-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here's the crocheted version of my Halloween wristwarmers, made with Tami's hand-painted yarn from Candy Skein, called "Halloween Treat." The colorway was designed especially for Witch Warmers! These wristwarmers were made using the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern.* The pictures show the short version from the armwarmer section of the pattern.

Tami's Halloween Treat yarn is fingering weight and the pattern calls for sportweight, so there are a couple of minor modifications:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. When you get to the arm section, omit "sl st-bl in first st" and "sk1" wherever found. They are not necessary if you're using variegated yarn, and not making stripes by alternating actual yarn colors.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

* There's a knit version of these here.

WIP Wednesday: Crocheted Halloween Treat-Warmers

2011-09-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

It's WIP Wednesday again, and I have started the crochet version of our Halloween Treat wristwarmers, using the Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern. Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for the Witch Warmers patterns, called "Halloween Treat."

(The loops aren’t really as loose as the bottom edge looks… I had just frogged a row.)

Like the knit version using this yarn, a few minor modifications are needed to accommodate the skinnier yarn. I will post them on Friday with the FO.

If you haven't seen the knit version of this, check here.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Halloween Treat-Warmers

2011-09-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

These wristwarmers were made with a hand-painted yarn from Candy Skein, called "Halloween Treat." Tami designed it for the Witch Warmers pattern.* The pictures show it made up in the short version from the armwarmer section of the pattern.

Tami's Halloween Treat yarn is fingering weight and the pattern calls for sportweight, so there are a couple of minor modifications to get the sizing right:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. Bind off with a size 5 (3.75mm) needle--one size larger than the rest of the knitting.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

* There's a crocheted version of them here.

WIP Wednesday: Halloween Treatwarmers!!

2011-09-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited!! Tami (of Candy Skein) has designed a special colorway for my Halloween pattern, Witch Warmers.* The colorway is called "Halloween Treats." Isn't it gorgeous?

Here's the start of a wristwarmer from the pattern, made up in this yummy yarn. The yarn is fingering weight, and the pattern calls for sportweight, so I figured out a couple of minor modifications to accommodate the skinnier yarn:

1. Use one size larger than the pattern's arm/leg/neck measurements call for. Your gauge swatch will come out to around 3" x 3" (8cm x 8cm) instead of 4" x 4" (10.5cm x 10.5 cm).

2. Bind off with a size 5 (3.75mm) needle--one size larger than the rest of the knitting.

*There is also a Witch Warmers in Crochet pattern, which I will work up with this yarn to get the modifications... stay tuned.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

In Case You're Wondering...

2011-09-06T07:05:00.000-07:00

Our state seems to be on fire. Texas has spontaneously combusted over the last few days, and it looks like there are lots of fires in Oklahoma too. Louisiana, New Mexico, Colorado, and the Northwest U.S. also have fires.

My husband and I own a house in the Texas county that has been in the news. Luckily, about a week ago we moved everything out in the process of selling the house. Unluckily, the closing was delayed. Don't know how that will turn out. So far, the house and neighborhood are just fine. The uncontained, out-of-control wildfire that has burned 25,000 acres is just to the south, and the wind is blowing from the north and shooing the fire away from the subdivision.

We now live on the coast, several hundred miles to the south of that area. No fires here, but the smoke has arrived.

The state park that's near our old house is 2/3 burned... majestic pine trees, beautiful lake, historic park buildings. I think the buildings have been saved so far. The park rangers say that as long as loss of life and property can be avoided, the burn is actually good for the land. I guess we have to keep things in perspective as we live on this Earth.

Today is much cooler than yesterday... like 20 degrees cooler. It feels and smells like Fall. Maybe the fires will end soon.

FO Friday: Black Fingerless

2011-09-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

It's FO Friday! Does the first glove count as an FO? I hope so, because I want to post it this week. Tami and I have a very special project coming up next week, when my yarn arrives. Oooooh, I'm excited.

You can see this glove with a hand in it as a WIP, here.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

WIP Wednesday: Black Fingerless

2011-08-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and this is my WIP that's been waiting patiently for months. I took a break from this project to work on variations for the Tarnation pattern. That's all done now, so I can get on with the gloves!

As you can see, this left glove only needs the pinkie and a bit of finishing, and she's done.

I love fingerless gloves. This one-soon-to-be-two is for a friend, who fell in love with the pair I keep in my coat pockets. I offered to knit some for her, and she asked for black. I'm loving the way it's working up. Might have to make a black pair for myself next.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Plarnation Rectangle Rug

2011-08-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

This variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug is crocheted with plarn (PLastic yARN), made from cut up grocery bags. I think it will make a great little patio rug.

There are no real modifications needed to the pattern, except to use plarn instead of tarn. The rug pictured above took 40 regular-sized grocery bags for the plarn, and it measures 21" wide by 31" long. It's got 56 rows plus the foundation chain.

Note: This rug is machine-washable.
Don't put it in the dryer--it will melt.

For other variations on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug, see the following posts:
Carmel Macchiato Tarnation Rug
Drip-Dry Tarnation Rug

For more FO Friday posts on other blogs, check here.

Mend-athon: Day 5

2011-08-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Mend-athon project for Day 5 was to sew down the facing on the neck of this dress. Flappy facing drives me nuts. This took about 5 minutes to stitch down, and the usual 30 seconds to put away the yellow thread.

Mend-athon: Day 4

2011-08-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Mend-athon project for Day 4 was to replace the little plastic ring that broke on a nightgown strap. It took a minute to find my mother's itty bitty crochet hook, since I almost never use it, but it was in its place, just hiding amongst the bigger hooks. It also took about 10 minutes to do this mend, because I had to experiment a little with how many strands of sewing thread to crochet into a ring (4 worked best). Then another 30 seconds to put away the thread, and I was done.

Mending a Tarn Rug

2011-08-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

After years of frequent machine-washing and drying, your tarn rug might develop a few failed stitches at the edges. You can fix this by making a single-crochet border around the rug, using more tarn.

Here's how to do it:

1. With the same size crochet hook and tarn that you used for making the rug originally, start at the corner of the rug nearest the frayed area. Work the stitches for this border slightly tighter than usual, to avoid rippling edges.

2. Make a loop with the tarn, put it on the hook, and work your first sc (U.S. term) in the first row-end st at the corner of the rug.

3. Work 2sc in the row ends between each "bar," and work an sc in the bars until you get to the next corner.

4. Work 3sc in the same st at the corner, and sc across the last edge row or starting foundation chain. At the end, work 3sc in the last st.

5. Repeat steps 3-4 until you arrive where you started. Connect to the first sc of the border with a sl st, tie off, and work in ends.

You can find more tips for the Tarnation Rectangle Rug in the following posts:
How to Make Tarn
Choosing Fabric for Tarn
Saving Your Hands and Arms When Using Tarn
Making the Print Show
Allover Print Tarn

Mend-athon: Day 3

2011-08-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Mend-athon project for Day 3 was to repair the first tarn (t-shirt yarn) rug I have ever made. Over the last 5 years or so, it has been washed probably 30-40 times (elderly cat, you know the drill). It took about 10 minutes to to do this mend. The crocheted row-ends in the big black stripe were wearing out, and there were some loose ends. So I decided to crochet along the edge with some tarn that I had sitting around. I'll put up another post, describing how to do this, in case anyone is interested--here.

Mend-athon: Day 2

2011-08-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Took a day off because we were out of town. The Mend-athon project for Day 2 was to sew a button onto my favorite sweater. It took 2 minutes to find the button, about 1 minute to sew it on, and 30 seocnds to put away the thread.

Tuffer Is Famous, Too!

2011-08-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Our Tuffer is today's Caturday Cat, featured on Contessa's blog, Writing, Yarn, Pucks, and Diapers. The post about Tuffer is here:

http://wypad.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/caturday-august-20/

There's a post on my blog about him, here.

Mend-athon: Day 1

2011-08-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

My first Mend-athon project was to sew up a little hole in this bedspread (upper right). It took 30 seconds to do the mend and 30 seconds to put away the thread. Wow... not even 5 minutes. You can see Tuffer trying to blend in by assuming the pose of the Celtic dog.

5 Minute Mend-athon

2011-08-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

My new mending basket
Do you have an overflowing mending basket, like me? Does it make you a little nuts every time you look at it? My mother had one when I was a kid, and torn clothes went in and stayed in until we outgrew them. Some of them were still in it when she passed away. When I went off to college, like a good daughter, I started a mending basket of my own. The stuff in it never got mended. The items would get tossed every few years when clothing styles had changed or I no longer wanted to wear them.

Today I've been inspired by the FlyLady, to do something about it. Since laundry is the FlyLady's habit of the month, it's a great time to figure out how to tackle the mending. This morning, I realized that if I use the FlyLady's philosophy of doing things in small, 5-minute chunks, I can conquer my mountain of mending.

Here's the plan:

1. Make a list of the items that need to be mended.

2. Gather the materials that will be needed for mending them, like the right colors of thread, etc.

3. Put away the items to be mended. That's right. Put them where they belong, even if they're not mended.

4. Get a small basket to hold your mending supplies, list of items to be mended, and a pencil. It's great if the basket (or box, bag, tin, whatever) has a lid or can be closed, but don't stress on this.

5. Put the basket next to a comfy chair that you use every day--maybe for watching tv, reading, or taking a 5-minute sit-down break during the day.

6. Once a day, always at the same time, get out your mending list, and go get the first/next item to be mended. Sit down for 5 minutes with your little mending kit and get it done. Put the item, thread, etc. away, and cross it off the list.

7. If your list is empty, get in the habit of checking it once a day at the designated time, anyway. Otherwise, you'll start forgetting about it, and when there's actual mending to be done, it will slide into never-gets-done oblivion.

I figure that if I follow this plan, I'll be caught up on my mending by the end of the month. Then as items present themselves needing buttons, rip repair, hemming, etc., they'll go right on the list, and they'll be back in service quickly.

NO MORE BIG, BOTTOMLESS, MESSY MENDING BASKET!

What's in your mending basket?

You can follow my mending progress in these posts:
Day 1: Celtic Bedspread
Day 2: Cherry Print Sweater
Day 3: Tarn Rug
Day 4: Nightgown Strap
Day 5: Flappy Facing

Spazz is Famous!

2011-08-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Our calico kitty has been featured as the Caturday cat this week on Wypad's blog, Writing, Yarn, Pucks, & Diapers.
Check it out:

http://wypad.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/caturday-aug-6/

There's a post about Spazz on my blog here.

WIP Wednesday: Plarn Tarnation

2011-08-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

It's the first anniversary of Work-In-Progress Wednesday, hosted by TamisAmis!! Congratulations, Tami!

This WIP is probably the last variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. From the beginning, I have wanted to try this pattern in plarn (PLastic yARN) made from cut-up grocery bags. It's working up very nicely, although this rug will not be machine-dryable, because plarn melts in the dryer.

Instructions for making plarn are here: How to Make Plarn.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Drip-Dry Tarnation Rug

2011-07-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. It uses all single crochet stitches, which allow it to hold its shape after washing (see note below). When made according to the pattern, the Tarnation rug is way out of shape when it comes out of the washing machine, and it regains its shape in the dryer. If you don't use a dryer, then you'll want to make the rug a bit differently. Here are the modifications:

1. For a 30" (76.5cm) rug--before washing--ch 71 for your foundation chain. (Dimensions are approximate, tarn is quite variable when it comes to gauge.)

2. On R2 and all subsequent rows, use sc instead of sc-bl (US crochet terms).

Note: After the first washing and line-drying, this rug will have expanded, but it will still be in a nice rectangular shape. In addition to being longer and wider, the stitches will be spread apart, so the rug has little "holes" in it. Also, it will not be as soft as before washing. Machine-drying will restore its size and softness.

For another variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug, see the following post:
Carmel Macchiato Tarnation Rug

For more FO Friday posts on other blogs, check here.

Mango-Lime Sherbet (Vegan)

2011-07-28T06:51:00.000-07:00

Here's another yummy flavor for my summertime standard, "rice cream." It's made with lots of fruit plus rice milk instead of actual milk--although you could easily use real milk if you want. Like watermelon, mango sherbet can be too bland unless you add an extra flavor, such as lime. And since the sweetness of mangoes varies quite a bit, taste the mixture before freezing, so you can add more honey while it's still possible to blend it in. After the sherbet is frozen, added honey just globs up.

MANGO-LIME SHERBET (VEGAN)

1 lg. mango
2 tsp. lime juice
1-3 tsp. honey (to taste)
1 cup rice milk

Peel the mango and cut the fruit off the fibrous central pit area. Be sure to cut off just the soft fruit--chewy mango fibers aren't great in a mouthful of sherbet.

In a large measuring cup, mash the honey, lime juice, and fruit together with a fork or hand-held blender. Taste, and add more honey if needed. Add rice milk up to the 2-cup mark and stir well.

Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to directions. I use a Donvier.

Makes 4 servings, or 2 large servings.

WIP Wednesday: A Rug for Line-Drying

2011-07-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I have started a new variation on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. When I realized that the pattern produces a rug that has to be machine-dried after laundering, I decided to try the pattern with all sc instead of sc-bl. I still like the sc-bl version better, because it's softer and the color changes aren't as "toothy," but this one promises to be good in other ways.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Tarn: Allover-Print Fabric Cutting

2011-07-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you're making tarn (t-shirt yarn) from cotton-knit fabric with an allover print, then you'll need a special cutting technique, which will let the print show in your tarn. When tarn is cut “across the grain," or horizontally across the t-shirt, its edges curl upward and inward, so that the wrong side of the fabric is mostly visible in the tarn. When cut "with the grain," or vertically on the t-shirt, tarn’s edges curl downward and inward, so that the right side of the fabric is mostly visible.

With printed t-shirt fabric, you can use a zig-zag cut, consisting of vertical cuts that allow the tarn to curl so the print shows. It works especially well with rugs, like the Tarnation Rectangle Rug. This is not a perfect solution, because the corners don't curl. Also it is much more time-consuming than other cutting techniques. But the results are often worth it.

Here's how to do it:

1. Cut off the t-shirt hem, seams (if any), and top. Save the scraps for stuffing toys, etc.

2. Make a straight cut from the bottom up to 1/2" (1cm) from the upper edge.

3. At the top edge, move over 1/2" (1cm) and make a straight cut from the top down to 1/2" (1cm) from the lower edge.

4. At the bottom edge, move over 1/2" (1cm) and make a straight cut from the bottom up to 1/2" (1cm) from the upper edge

5. Repeat steps 3-4 until you run out of fabric. (see picture)

6. With your scissors, round off all of the corners.

7. Taper the ends if you'll be using the hand-stich method of connecting your tarn strips. (see Step 7 in How to Make Tarn)

8. Trim the seams/sleeve hems/collar off the remaining t-shirt fabric, and repeat steps 2-7 for each piece. You don't have to start with a rectangular shape--just be sure your cuts are running generally "with the grain," and not across.

Tarn produced in this way will curl inward towards the wrong side of the fabric, leaving the print side showing. The curved corner flaps don't curl, and they will be worked in as you crochet or knit. Sometimes a flap will end up on the surface of your work, but since it has the same print as the surrounding stitches, it usually blends in--not noticeable if you're standing on a rug. You can see some flaps in the photo below. The gray and tan sections of the rug were made with printed tarn.

Tarn: Making the Print Show

2011-07-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, tarn curls in on itself to show only the wrong side of the t-shirt fabric. This gives a nice, workable "yarn," but it doesn't allow the t-shirt print to show when you knit or crochet with it. Showing the print is a great way to add visual interest to a tarn rug, like the Tarnation Rectangle Rug.

There are two ways to solve the problem. My usual solution is to turn out the print side when I get to it while I'm working with the tarn. This takes some extra time, and it's a bit tedious--but with the way t-shirts are normally printed, you only have to do this for a few stitches, then there's a long stretch of unprinted tarn.

(The second way to solve this problem involves using a zig-zag cutting technique.)

Here's how to turn out the print while you are crocheting. Do this for every loop of the printed stitches. For example, for an sc (US term) stitch you will make 2 loops, each being made with a new turnout.

1. Fold the working tarn longwise so the printed side is showing.

2. Hold the fold in place with your non-dominant hand, and hook the tarn, keeping the fold intact under the crochet hook.

3. Carefully draw the loop through, making sure the printed side of the tarn is still showing.

You can find more tips for the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern in the following posts:
How to Make Tarn
Choosing Fabric for Tarn
Saving Your Hands and Arms When Using Tarn
Allover Print Tarn
Mending a Tarn Rug

How to Make Tarn (T-Shirt Yarn)

2011-07-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here's how I like to make tarn (T-shirt yARN) for the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern. It works great for me, and the 1/2" or 1 cm width makes it fairly easy on the hands and arms when working it up.

Just to know: When tarn is cut “across the grain," or horizontally across the t-shirt, its edges curl upward and inward, so that the wrong side of the fabric is mostly visible in the tarn. When cut "with the grain," or vertically on the t-shirt, tarn’s edges curl downward and inward, so that the right side of the fabric is mostly visible. The following steps will yield tarn that is primarily cut across the grain. If there is print on the right side of the shirt, it will not show. There are ways to get around this: turning out the print, and the zigzag cut.

1. Collect your t-shirts or other cotton-knit garments to be used. For best results, use items from the same manufacturer’s line. Variations in fabric content and thickness can make your project uneven. Sometimes that adds interest, but the finished product will not be as uniform, especially after washing. (For more info, see Choosing Shirts for a Tarn Rug.)

Tip: If your finished tarn item comes out of the dryer looking uneven, just give it a few yanks with your hands holding the row-ends, to straighten it up.

2. Cut the hem off the bottom of the t-shirt. If the shirt has side seams, cut all the seams off the front or back section. Save the scraps for stuffing toys, etc.

Tip: Turn the t-shirt inside-out before cutting the hem or seams off--it’s easier to see where to cut. Hold the hem or seam in your non-dominant hand while you cut with your dominant hand.

3. Cut diagonally into the hemless bottom of the shirt until you have a 1/2” (1cm)-wide strip started. This will give you a tapered end, for the needle-and-thread method of connecting strips in step 7. The ends are tapered to avoid tarn that is too bulky at the point of overlap.

Tip: Turn the t-shirt right-side-out and cut on the right side of the fabric--it’s easier to cut when the tarn edges are curling upward instead of downward where you can’t see. Also, hold the edge of the fabric (instead of the bunched-up shirt) in your non-dominant hand while cutting for better control of the fabric.

4. Tube Spiral - If the shirt does not have side seams, you can continue cutting the tarn strip, spiraling up to where the sleeves are attached. Taper-off the end, like the start of the strip.

Tip: When rolling your tarn into a ball, you can stretch the printed sections, to reduce the bulk and make them almost as flexible as the unprinted tarn. If you want the print to show on the outside of the tarn, turn it out while crocheting or knitting.

Note: If you have an allover-print t-shirt fabric, the tube spiral cut will completely hide the print. In order to make the print visible on the tarn, you must use a zigzag vertical cut technique.

5. Flat Spiral - If the shirt has side seams, continue cutting the tarn across the bottom, up the side, across the sleeve and collar edges, and down the other side. When you get to where you started, angle your cut upward so you can keep going in a flat spiral. Since tarn is stretchy, it’s forgiving at the corners, but you can round them off a little by trimming the points. Taper-off the width when you come to the end.

Note: Some tarn-makers stretch their tarn before rolling it into a ball. It makes the tarn more cord-like, but they only use tube-spiral cut tarn. This doesn’t work well with flat-spiral cut tarn--too many flappy corners and vertical cuts.

6. Cut the seams/collar/sleeve hems off any remaining shirt fabric, and cut more strips using the Flat Spiral method in step 5.

7. Connecting Strips - Overlap the tapered ends by about 1” (2.5cm). With a needle and thread, hand-sew 6-7 stitches straight up the middle. Backstitch works well for this.

Tip: Instead of tying off the sewing thread with a knot, you can take 3-4 tiny stitches at the end of the line of backstitches, to hold it in place.

Note: There are several other ways of connecting tarn, including tying a knot, sewing a diagonal seam, and cutting a slit and threading through. Your choice depends on what kind of item you’re making and how smooth the connections need to be. The method in step 7 provides a smooth connection that takes less time than the diagonal seam method.

WARNING: Don’t cut tarn across the shirt seams. The seam stitches will not hold your tarn together, especially in the wash.

-----
You can find more tips for the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern in the following posts:
Saving Your Hands and Arms when Making and Using Tarn
Choosing Shirts for a Tarn Rug
Making the Print Show
Allover Print Tarn
Mending a Tarn Rug

Cinnamon-Banana Rice Cream

2011-07-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love this stuff! Since bananas are so sweet, there's no need to add honey, and the cinnamon fools your brain into thinking you're having a heavenly, sugary dessert. Well, you are... without the sugar.

CINNAMON-BANANA RICE CREAM (VEGAN)

1 med. ripe banana
1/2 cup rice milk
1/16 tsp. cinnamon

In a large measuring cup, mash the banana with a fork. Add rice milk up to the 1-cup mark and stir well.

Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to directions. I use a Donvier. Sprinkle each serving generously with ground cinnamon.

Makes 2 servings, or 1 large serving.

Carmel Macchiato Tarnation Rug

2011-07-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

This rug is made from the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern, which is now up on Ravelry (and here) as a free download. Two of the t-shirts had all-over printed fabric, and this gives the rug some added interest in the way it turned out. However, it took a special technique for cutting the tarn so it would curl with the print side out, which is more time-consuming than regular tarn-cutting. It looks so good, I think it was worth the extra effort. Here's how to do it.

For more variations on the Tarnation Rectangle Rug, see the following posts:
Drip-Dry Tarnation Rug
Plarnation Rectangle Rug

Avoiding the Owie with Tarn

2011-07-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Cutting and working with tarn (T-shirt yARN) can be painful. Here are some tips for minimizing the owie, which you can use with the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern.

1. Don't get too carried away with cutting the tarn, or your hand will start to hurt. It’s best to break it up into short time periods. I like to cut a shirt or section of a shirt, crochet (or knit) it into the project, and then cut more.

2. Use nice, sharp scissors for cutting tarn. As for sewing, you might want to get a brand new pair, and designate it for tarn cutting only. Scissors used for cutting paper quickly become too dull for fabric cutting, and tarn is a stretchy, thickish fabric, so you need all the help you can get. There have been reports of tarn-cutting wreaking havoc on good sewing scissors, so an inexpensive, new pair of sharp scissors for your tarn is a good idea.

3. Stick with crochet. I love knitting, but for tarn, knitting causes the strands to “grab” the needles, causing a lot of pushing and pulling to get each stitch made. Crochet can be done loosely enough to minimize the grabbiness.

4. Work a bit more loosely than you would with regular yarn. The harder you have to pull to get the stitches made, the sooner your arms, neck, and shoulder will start to hurt.

5. Take lots of breaks. Stop and shake out your hands and arms, stand up and stretch, whatever you need to do to keep the muscles relaxed and the blood circulating. Also, longer breaks give your hands and arms some recovery time.

6. Cut your tarn thin, but not too thin. Anything wider than 1/2” will be hard on your hands and arms, but thinner than that, the fabric can sometimes unravel and break when pulled hard.

You can find more crochet tips for the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern in the following posts:
Choosing Shirts for a Tarn Rug
How to Make Tarn
Making the Print Show
Allover Print Tarn
Mending a Tarn Rug

Choosing Shirts for a Tarn Rug

2011-07-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

When the shirts you cut for tarn are assorted in fabric content and thickness, your finished item can come out kind of wonky after machine washing and drying. That's because the fabrics draw up differently. In a square or rectangular piece, like the Tarnation Rectangle Rug, it can be a problem, while in a round rug, oval rug, or mesh piece like The Ultimate Recycled Market Bag, it's not even noticeable.

When your rug comes out of the wash looking like the picture above, just give it a few yanks with your hands grasping the row-ends, and the stitches will even themselves up.

But the real solution is in being choosy about which shirts you select for the rug:

1. In the best of all worlds, you would have 5-10 shirts in your closet that were all made by the same manufacturer in the same fabric in complementary colors.

2. In the second-best world, your shirts would still have labels in them stating that they have the same fabric content, and the thickness of the material feels about equal... again in colors that work well together.

3. If you have barely enough shirts, and you're dying to make a rug, just go for it. The rug will still look great, and you can yank it back into shape after washing.

It also helps to follow these suggestions:

4. Make your foundation chain run down the long side of the rug (like in the Tarnation Rectangle Rug pattern, and not like the rug pictured above). Long rows hold their shape better in the wash.

5. Use your thickest fabric with the highest cotton content for the middle rows, and the thinner blends for the beginning and ending rows. As you can see in the rug pictured above, the middle black stripe is the weak link. That's because the stronger rows above and below pull on the black stitches in the wash. If those weaker stitches were on the ends, they wouldn't get jerked around so much.

6. Consider saving your mismatched-fabric shirts for a mesh bag or an oval or round rug. (Stay tuned for an oval version of the Tarnation Rug.)

You can find more tips for working with tarn here:
Saving Your Hands and Arms When Using Tarn
How to Make Tarn
Making the Print Show
Allover Print Tarn
Mending a Tarn Rug

Tarnation Rectangle Rug

2011-07-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

This easy-to-make crocheted rug is made from t-shirts that have been cut into tarn (T-shirt yARN) — a great way to recycle old cotton-knit garments and get a good-looking, high-use item in exchange. Machine washable and dryable, it’s an excellent rug for kitchen, bath, utility, or entry.

U.S. crochet terms

Skill Level Easy

Yarn 1/2”/1cm-width tarn made from 5-10 adult-sized t-shirts (Instructions for making tarn are included in the pattern.)

Schematic diagram included.

For a free .pdf of this pattern, click here:
download now

You can find tips and variations for this pattern in the following posts:
How to Make Tarn
Choosing Fabric for Tarn
Saving Your Hands and Arms When Using Tarn
Making the Print Show
Allover Print Tarn
Mending a Tarn Rug
Carmel Macchiato Tarnation Rug
Drip-Dry Tarnation Rug
Plarnation Rectangle Rug

Watermelon-Lime Sherbet (Vegan)

2011-07-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is a marvelous combination of sweet, cold, and tang, served up in my husband's great-grandmother's china. I tried making it without the lime and honey, but it was very bland, so a touch of key lime juice and a dab of honey fixed it right up.

WATERMELON-LIME SHERBET (VEGAN)

3/4 cup fresh watermelon chunks
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp honey
1/4 cup rice milk

In a large measuring cup, mash the honey, lime juice, and watermelon together with a fork or hand-held blender. Add rice milk up to the 1-cup mark and stir well.

Freeze in an ice cream maker, according to directions. I use a Donvier.

Makes 2 servings, or 1 large serving (pictured).

Independence Day Repast

2011-07-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

When we have guests for the 4th of July, I always put on a spread that features salads. This year's meal took place yesterday, a day early, with three of us. Here's the menu:

Summer Sangria (non-alcoholic)
Tangy Potato Salad
Pea Salad
Carrot Salad
Watermelon Points
Key Lime Pie

I'm still refining most of the recipes, so I won't be posting them this year. Since I have switched to mayonnaise-less dressings, a bit of tweaking is still needed to get them to the super-good level. For the key lime pie filling, I used a recipe that I found in Mary Janes Farm magazine, June/July 2011 - it makes enough to fill one baked pie crust perfectly, and this stuff is to-die-for.

Veneta Donaldson: "And Now I Keep My Promise"

2011-07-02T07:07:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson's little box
This little box sat in an honored spot in Veneta's home for as long as I can remember, until the time came for me to bring it to my house. Inside, she kept a few photos, copied-down quotes, and her very special poems. A few days after she died, I opened this box and found the following brief poem. She undoubtedly wrote it after her husband, Clyde, passed away, and it was read at the end of her funeral, next to the grave of her beloved.

And Now I Keep My Promise
by Veneta Donaldson

And now I keep my promise to you
That I would "see you in a little while" –
Beyond the stars, the sun, the wind,
Beyond the long, interminable mile.

Veneta's favorite photo of Clyde

Endnote: We have reached the final poem in this series. I hope that you have enjoyed the work of Veneta Donaldson as much as I. She was an inspiration to me in life as an aunt, and now in death, as a writer.

Additional poetry by Veneta Donaldson starts here.

The beginning of this series of poems by Veneta Donaldson and a brief bio can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Little Old Lady in Blue"

2011-07-01T07:12:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, 1986
Veneta wrote this poem many years before she became a "little old lady in blue" herself. I believe she was thinking of her aunt with this poem, whom she visited much like I visited her in my time, and "could hardly wait to go back again."

Little Old Lady in Blue
by Veneta Donaldson

Just a little old lady in blue
With steps that falter as old steps do;
And hands that tremble when they try
The tasks remembered from days gone by.

Just a little old lady so sweet,
So like the one you used to greet
Whose home you longed to visit, then
Could hardly wait to go back again.

Just a little old lady in blue –
To some, perhaps, but not to you,
For she is Memory of a day
Never again to come your way.

The final poem in this series can be found here: And Now I Keep My Promise.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Moment Exquisite"

2011-06-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

Veneta's husband, Clyde Donaldson, 1956
photo by Steve Caylor
This is a winter poem that Veneta wrote for the love of her life, Clyde. It's another that I found in her little box of special things.

Moment Exquisite
by Veneta Donaldson

Close the door gently; come, beside me rest,
And pillow your dark head upon my breast,
While twilight shadows steal across the room.
Outside the hands of Winter will resume
Their cherished task of silvering the night,
To fill our hearts with rapturous delight.
Dear One, Time may not bring this hour again;
Let no word's cadence mar the haunting strain
Of music, exquisitely sweet and low,
The melody of night, caroled in snow.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Little Old Lady in Blue.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

WIP Wednesday: A New Rug

2011-06-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I have started a new tarn (t-shirt yarn) rug for the test phase of my pattern, Tarnation Rectangle Rug. I'm using a regular store-boughten crochet hook instead of my grandmother's handmade wooden hook, to be sure I've got the size right on the pattern.

The pattern test is in full swing now, and if you'd like to be a tester, just let me know and I'll email a .pdf of the pattern to you. Instructions for making tarn are included.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "Impasse"

2011-06-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

One of Veneta Donaldson's marked-up pages
It's always encouraging to read about an excellent writer who has those moments when nothing comes together right. Here's one of Veneta's.

Impasse
by Veneta Donaldson

I cannot write tonight; elusive words
Have taunted me until my weary mind
Bows low before its conqueror, nor girds
Its strength for one last thrust, however blind.

I needed words of truth and purpose clear
To frame the thought that near my heart has lain —
That each resolve to hold Truth's concept dear —
But though defeated now, I'll write again!

The next poem in this series can be found here: Moment Exquisite.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "In Memoriam"

2011-06-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson's father, c. 1952
This is another poem I found folded up in my aunt's little box of special things. She wrote it when her father died. I must admit that I have edited it a bit. Veneta had a habit of avoiding the trappings of grief, and I believe that she would have made the sorts of editorial changes I did here, if this poem had not been such a strong reminder of the loss of her father.

In Memoriam
by Veneta Donaldson

Our tears are yours, our grief,
This haunting, calendared day
When one we loved so earnestly
So quietly passed away.

The dearness of your smile,
Cherished throughout our memory;
The strength and beauty of your hands
Will live with us in constancy.

Your step, so eager and so quick
Across the threshold of our time
Brought joy to all our hearts
When we beheld you in your prime.

The firmness of your will,
The self-inflicted discipline,
Were tempered with a gentleness
So rarely found among men.

Our tears are yours, our grief,
For you who left us sad but wise;
A loving memory is ours
It never, never, ever dies.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Impasse.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "They Told Me — "

2011-06-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson with her husband, Clyde, c. 1950
Here's another anti-war poem. Veneta's experience with both World Wars comes into play in this one.

They Told Me —
by Veneta Donaldson

They told me of the strife at sea
When ships were tossed in maelstrom wide;
They told me of Victory's fee
And depth of scars men cannot hide.
They told me never would our sons
Again feel hatred in their breast;
They told me all death-waging guns
Had been discarded, laid to rest.

They told me all men should be free,
United brothers of One World.
They never mentioned sophistry
Nor darkness that may be unfurled,
Chaotic, worse than twice before
When Peace was thought predominant.
They should have told me one thing more —
That war stalks men intolerant.

A note about gender: As was the custom for most of the 20th century, Veneta used masculine words like "men" and "brothers" when indicating both genders. So she meant "all humans should be free, united siblings of One World." I prefer the way she wrote it, because it comes across as less technical and more poetic.

The next poem in this series can be found here: In Memoriam.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "The Darkened Hours"

2011-06-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, 1909
More darkness. Veneta had some very sad events in her life: her mother died when she was three years old, her first love exited leaving her unrequited for decades, and her husband died 17 years before she passed away herself. This poem was written during the unrequited years, and as she noted on her typewritten page, in the style of a Shakespeare sonnet.

The Darkened Hours
by Veneta Donaldson

Tonight the years' hypnotic eyes are bright,
They mesmerize my spirit and my mind;
They will not let me turn toward the light
But torture me with visions of the blind
And crippled hours that haunt my spirit's shore,
Hours nurtured by despair and vain regret
That Fate once barred contentment's golden door
And placed upon my heart eternal debt.

O hours that pass as lightly as a sigh
And leave no trace of triumph or defeat
Where is the Joy the egoists decry?
The ecstasy in which their days are steeped?
The darkened hours that are my legacy
Mordaciously flaunt their supremacy.

The next poem in this series can be found here: They Told Me — .

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Within the Night"

2011-06-24T06:54:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, 1949
"Did Veneta have a dark side?" you ask. Well, apparently she did. As her niece, I never knew about it, but some of her poems are brooding, and this one is so upsetting, it made me cry. I have included "Within the Night" in this series because it is so very powerful.

Within the Night
by Veneta Donaldson

A crash splinters the dark of night,
Disturbing as remembered fright
That fringes one's distorted dream;
As piercing as malignant gleam
Of saber drawn in bloody fray,
Forever curtaining the day.

A crash splinters the dark of night —
God help the boy who longs for sight.

The next poem in this series can be found here: The Darkened Hours.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Haven"

2011-06-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Veneta in her own cottage, 1960
Here she is in her kitchen, looking very Julia Child-y. On the back of this photo, Veneta wrote, "Evening, Dec. 23, '60." This is her eventide poem.

Haven
by Veneta Donaldson

A small white cottage on a quiet street
For me holds loveliness complete;
For within its walls such beauty lies
As makes the heart more richly wise.

And as I gaze from my window ledge
Across an intervening hedge
Well my heart knows by their crimsoned leaves
The sun again has kissed the trees.

Now as the deepening shadows fall
Crickets sing by the garden wall;
The birds' muted chirp betokens rest
Within the shelter of their nest.

Soon now, Dear God, may Thy peace abide
Within all hearts at eventide;
May small white cottages on quiet streets
Harbor those whom peace sweetly greets.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Within the Night.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Sneak Peek... Tarnation Rectangle Rug

2011-06-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

My work-in-progress for today is the pattern for this rug made out of tarn (t-shirt yarn)! I've just finished the first draft of the .pdf, and it's ready to be tested. When the test is over, the final version will be offered as a free download here and on Ravelry.

If you'd like to be a tester, please let me know and I'll email you the pattern. It's easy to make, and it takes about 5-10 t-shirts. Directions for making tarn are included in the pattern.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "Summer's Child"

2011-06-21T05:14:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson with niece, June 1958
Since today is the Summer Solstice, it's a good day for this poem. The photo shows Veneta with me, taken around the time of Summer Solstice in 1958. I happen to have been born in the summer, but she wrote this poem many years before my time.

Summer's Child
by Veneta Donaldson

Sweet Summer's child I saw today,
Whose piquant features were designed
By playful breeze and ocean spray
Upon a shore with seashells lined.

Sweet Summer's child I saw today,
A child so gravely young and fair;
I watched her joyfully at play
With sunbeams glistening in her hair.

Oh child of breeze and ocean mist
The world is lovelier for you;
A creature whom the sun has kissed,
Yet left as fresh as morning dew.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Haven.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Happy Solstice!

2011-06-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Merry Midsummer, everyone. This is a picture of the water near our house at dusk, opposite the setting Sun.

Veneta Donaldson: "Old Houses"

2011-06-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson at home, c. 1960
My aunt lived with her husband in a pretty little house that was dove gray with white trim. She always had flowers blooming in the front yard. This picture shows her on the front porch in a glamour-girl pose, a far cry from the houses she describes below.

Old Houses
by Veneta Donaldson

The somber, apathetic mien
Of houses old, untenanted;
The haunting look of wistfulness
As though their grief had ferreted
Each memory of lovely days
When joy and laughter were their own
Invariably bruise my heart
When I behold them, mute, alone.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Summer's Child.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "The Answer"

2011-06-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

Veneta's husband, Clyde Donaldson, 1940s
Clyde was the great love of Veneta's life, but he appeared after many years of sadness on her part. As a young woman, she fell in love with a beau who for an unknown reason, left her, breaking her heart. Carrying on, she managed her grief while building a career for herself. Then in walked Clyde--one of the sweetest men on the planet. By the time they married, Veneta was 40 years old. Choosing not to have children, she and Clyde had a wonderful, devoted marriage for 30 years until he passed away.

The Answer
by Veneta Donaldson

Last night you said, "Darling, do you love me?"
And I could only nod my cradled head;
The lovely words were not upon my lips –
They were engraved upon my heart instead.

And then again you said, "Do you love me?"
Do I love you, who gave my heart a song,
Who recognized the sorrows of the years
And gently marshaled them where they belong.

Do I love you? If only I could tell
In glowing phrases what you've meant to me
Since first I glimpsed the beauty of this love
You could not then doubt my sincerity.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Old Houses.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "The Clock"

2011-06-18T05:21:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson on a cruise, c. 1980
Here she is, 30 years later, on a cruise--no more "hither and thither," but she's still having fun.

The Clock
by Veneta Donaldson

The clock controls my busy day
And slowly ticks my life away.
It hangs upon my study wall
Not caring for my plight at all.

Inexorable tyranny
That sways the hours' destiny –
And yet without that pallid face
Time still would ply its ruthless pace.

The next poem in this series can be found here The Answer.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

FO Friday: Tarn Rug!

2011-06-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

It's FO Friday, and I finished the rug while it's still Friday! This used almost 5 shirts for the tarn, and it measures 22" x 32". It looks way better than I expected, with the colors pooling in a very nice pattern.

I'm about to produce a free pattern for this rug--anybody wanna be a tester? Just let me know and I'll email a .pdf to you as soon as it's ready.

For more FO Friday finished objects on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "I Often Wonder"

2011-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson at work, c. 1950
Veneta wrote a few humorous poems. This one is about another secretary in her office, the "dark one." I think she meant this young woman was a brunette, rather than Satan.

I Often Wonder
by Veneta Donaldson

I often wonder how the dark one
Gets by without a bit of work done.
Perhaps the dreamy eyes and sweet-girl stare
Compensate for desk that's neatly bare.
At times my mind is in a dither,
My thoughts race from here to thither.
I could slap her in the kisser
But with my luck I'd only miss her!

(My style certainly isn't Ogden Nash-y,
I just feel mean and sort of nasty!)

The next poem in this sereies can be found here: The Clock.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

WIP Wednesday: Turned Tarn Rug

2011-06-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

This rug is still a work-in-progress. I'm now far enough along to realize that if I use all of my shirts in this fabric for this rug, it will come out square, and I prefer rectangular rugs. So I turned it (conceptually) 90 degrees, and I'll add maybe 1-1/2 more shirts: the rest of the white, plus a navy blue shirt. Then I'll have 4 more shirts left to make a little oval rug out of: pink, red, gray, white. Okay, I can live with that.

You can download a free pattern for this rug from here:
Tarnation Rectangle Rug.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

Veneta Donaldson: "I Saw Her Standing There"

2011-06-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson with niece, 1957
Veneta had no children. She was 20 years old when my mother was born, so she was like a second mother to her. The photo above shows my aunt holding me as a baby. She and her husband were very strongly present in my life, and after my mother passed away, Veneta was a second mother to me, too.

I Saw Her Standing There
by Veneta Donaldson

I saw her standing there,
A quiet child with eyes of brown
And countenance so dear. I knew
Her from a long-remembered prayer.

I saw her standing there,
This child born of my reverie
Then suddenly she was no more –
A vision sweet beyond compare.

The next poem in this series can be found here: I Often Wonder.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "To N.J.D. and P.C. McC."

2011-06-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, 1909
I found this poem in my aunt's little box of special things. It appears to be a prayer written to be given to my mother, N.J.D., when she was pregnant and someone else--probably a friend who was also with child.

To N.J.D. and P.C. McC.
by Veneta Donaldson

Give unto him a joyous heart,
And lift him high above the crowd;
Yet may he know that he's a part
Of all of life, from dust to shroud.

Give unto him a fervent will
To rise above a heart's despair;
But if he fails, there is still
Compassionate beauty to share.

Give unto him the need to dream,
Fulfilled by word, or sound or form;
And when the hours are not what they seem,
Release him from contingent harm.

Give unto him a spirit deep
Enveloping the human race,
Instill in him the wish to keep
The true formalities of grace.

Mold him by Thy divinity,
This child that is yet to be.

The next poem in this series can be found here: I Saw Her Standing There.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Surely They Remember"

2011-06-12T07:59:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1919
This photo shows Veneta as a girl, several years after her mother passed away. She was no stranger to sadness and tears. The following is one of her anti-war poems.

Surely They Remember
by Veneta Donaldson

At times when life has lost its vibrant charm
And weighted hours suspend themselves from days
Whose timing caters wholly to alarm,
Hysteria, and man's unlawful ways.
My heart is saddened and I vainly grope
For recollection of those happy years
When one knew nothing of the frenzied hope
Of peoples destitute, nor of their tears.

Long happy days of fruitful work and peace
Should be remembered by our chosen ones
Who strive to guide the world so wars will cease
And hands will not be trained in ways of guns.
Oh, surely they remember, pledge the young
That Peace shall speak one universal tongue!

The next poem in this series can be found here: To N.J.D. and P.C. McC.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Beauty"

2011-06-11T04:08:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, 1960
Beauty
by Veneta Donaldson

There's beauty found in unpretentious things –
The turn of shining plow upon the earth;
The sweet, unchanging tune the cricket sings;
And dusky spirals borne from rural hearth;
The dreamy hum of kettles on the fire;
Bright crown of jonquils framed in light of gold;
A simple melody from feathered choir;
A tender smile upon a face grown old.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Surely They Remember.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Reiteration"

2011-06-10T06:49:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1911
Veneta wrote some anti-war poems during her early writing years. War was a major factor in her childhood and in her young adult life. She was very much against it.

Reiteration
by Veneta Donaldson

Why does reiteration sound
So blatantly upon the tongue?
Have we forgot the fresh, green mound
That houses dreams torn from the young?

Why does War's anvil strike the spark
That fires the greed of blinded souls,
Whose self-willed destinies so dark
Know only frenzied, powered goals?

Oh, surely in the hearts of men
A lasting freedom's uppermost;
And vows when Peace is ushered in
Outlive the moment's fevered boast!

The next poem in this series can be found here: Beauty.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "His Mother's Prayer"

2011-06-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

A soldier from Veneta's family photos, early 1900s
This young man was probably Veneta's mother's brother, by the family resemblance seen in his face. My aunt was a child during World War I, and a working-girl during World War II. During that time she wrote this poem, which made me teary-eyed when I read it, reminding me of my own son of that age.

His Mother's Prayer
by Veneta Donaldson

Dear God, Thy mercy I beseech
Upon my son bestow this day;
And place within his sweet, young reach
The glory of his star-bound way.
But if he seeks Thy house for rest --
So like a lone bird's trusting flight
When by Thy mighty wisdom blessed --
O guide him home through starless night.

A note about religion: Veneta was a smart, sophisticated career woman who lived and worked in one of Texas' major cities. Having been raised in a small town in the early 20th century, religion was a "given" for her. It was like the Sun coming up every morning, a normal part of everyone's life. We in the 21st century have a rather different perspective on religion in its diverse forms and expressions--sometimes rare and special, sometimes pervasive.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Reiteration.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

WIP Wednesday: Tarn Rug

2011-06-08T06:20:00.000-07:00

It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I've been working on this t-shirt yarn rug for the past week. At the moment, it has about 3-1/2 turtleneck shirts crocheted into it, with probably 5 more to go. It's 32" wide and 13" long. I hope it doesn't turn out to be too big for frequent washing and drying. I might have to rethink the dimensions for easier washing--maybe rotate it, so the 32" is the length, and keep going until it's just 24" long. Have to think about it.

Last week I posted some notes on how I'm making it.

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

UPDATE: After looking at this photo, I realized that there was a mistake about halfway up. Most of the time, I just keep going after a mistake because it doesn't usually show. However, this one is on the edge (left edge stairstep from forgetting the ch1 at the start of the row). It would always show and always bother me, so I frogged back. Now I will be more careful. Argh.

Veneta Donaldson: "An Aquarelle"

2011-06-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1915
Veneta was a lover of art, and later a lover of an artist--she married him, in fact. Many of his paintings hang in my house now, but he was not the watercolor artist of this "aquarelle."

An Aquarelle
by Veneta Donaldson

The graceful willows' mystic tracery
Reflected by a silver crescent lamp
Resembles pattern etched from memory,
Once marked indelibly with childhood's stamp.

The irised path beside the water's edge
Bears yet no touch of swift, eroding years;
Nor does the drowsy, water-lily hedge
Show sign of Time's long-unassuaged fears.

This rustic scene of fairy, winsome grace
Brings back to mind my childhood's summer dell
So vividly my mind would now erase
The blind dimensions of this aquarelle.

The next poem in this series can be found here: His Mother's Prayer.

This is part of a series of poems by Veneta Donaldson. A brief bio and the beginning of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Tornado Town"

2011-06-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1950
In light of the recent tornadic disaster in Joplin, I found this poem to be quite timely. My aunt lived in an area of Texas that certainly saw its share of tornadoes.

Tornado Town
by Veneta Donaldson

There are no children playing in the streets
No sound of footsteps anywhere at all;
The silence mounts until it fairly beats
A mournful dirge about each splintered wall.

But as I watch, long and steadily,
Blurred faces seem to gather all around.
And then a mighty chorus shouts to me –
Never will we leave Tornado Town.

The next poem in this series can be found here: An Aquarelle.

A brief bio of Veneta Donaldson and the first poem of the series can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family.

Veneta Donaldson: "Akin to Prayer"

2011-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, c. 1911
My aunt never talked about her hopes and dreams. So it was a lovely surprise for me to read the following poem, which describes a wish that I, too, have had.

Akin to Prayer
by Veneta Donaldson

I've longed to own a little plot of land
With boundary of maple and of oak;
A small white house with laughter in its heart,
And open arms for ordinary folk.
I've longed to gaze upon the setting sun,
To hear the plaintive note of cricket brood;
And watch the friendly yellow moon arise
And scale the sky for one that it has wooed.
I've longed to breathe the freshness of the soil
Just after plow has left its imprint there;
I've longed to own a little plot of land
So much the longing is akin to prayer.

The next poem in this series can be found here: Tornado Town.

A brief bio of Veneta Donaldson and the first poem of the series, can be found here: Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family

Veneta Donaldson: A Poet in the Family

2011-06-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Veneta Donaldson, early 1930s
This is my aunt--my mother's much-older sister, who lived from 1909 to 1996. She was a single working-girl in Texas from the late 1920's through the 1940's. Marrying at age 40, she continued with her secretarial career until retirement. Much like Emily Dickinson, she wrote poetry that was almost never seen by anyone. She typed the early ones and hand-wrote the later poems--most of them were on nice stationery paper. The first set was bound with a ribbon. Her poetry ranged from deeply philosophical to sentimental to whimsical: all intelligent and masterful in style.

I will be posting some of my favorites here, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Patterns
by Veneta Donaldson

Man's life is but a pattern here
That molds his own infinity
Beyond his laughter and his tear,
Deception and veracity.

Sometimes the pattern's mutable
And precious gain is lost to him;
Often opaque, insensible,
And all the hours are aimless, dim.

Perhaps but once within his soul
His life is clear as God's own star;
He sees ahead the final goal
And knows why mortal patterns are.

The following poems by Veneta Donaldson are included in this series:

- Patterns
- Akin to Prayer
- Tornado Town
- An Aquarelle
- His Mother's Prayer
- Reiteration
- Beauty
- Surely They Remember
- To N.J.D. and P.C. McC.
- I Saw Her Standing There
- I Often Wonder
- The Clock
- The Answer
- Old Houses
- Summer's Child
- Haven
- Within the Night
- The Darkened Hours
- They Told Me —
- In Memoriam
- Impasse
- Moment Exquisite
- Little Old Lady in Blue
- And Now I Keep My Promise

Additional poetry by Veneta Donaldson
- Picture of Autumn
- Time of Yule

Evolution of a Rug

2011-06-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

Check out my grandmother's hand-hewn crochet hook, upper left.
It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, and I'm back! In December, we bought a new house in a new town, and I have been up to my eyeballs in boxes, packing materials, and stuff. For the last few months, my time has been mostly spent unpacking and selling-off zillions of items from three households (mine, my husband's, and a friend who passed away).

We have a very old cat--adopted him from our departed friend. He is becoming incontinent, and he usually makes it to the vicinity of the catbox, but... well... let's just say the floor of the utility room is getting cleaned A LOT. I put my little t-shirt yarn rug there, and it's working well because it's so easy to wash. It grabs and holds the puddles instead of having the grout lines become little yellow rivers. So I desperately need a second tarn (t-shirt yarn) rug, to switch out with during the laundering process.

This one is made of a bunch of old turtlenecks of mine. I had a collection of many colors, all in the same style and fabric. They are out of style now, and I have others that I like way better, so it's time to crochet a rug!

For more WIP Wednesday posts on other blogs, check here.

UPDATE: Since instructions for this rug have been requested, I'm going to try to tell you how I made this... haven't created a pattern yet... maybe a free one someday soon.

ANOTHER UPDATE: The pattern has now been produced and tested, and it's available as a free download. Tarnation Rectangle Rug

How to Survive a 7-Hour Harp Gig

2011-05-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, I managed to play a 7-hour gig yesterday. Here's how I did it:

1. Set up the harp, with several containers of juice and/or coffee within easy reach.

2. Tune, and then check tuning. No one wants to hear the top note of an ending arpeggio that's a whole step off because you had the tuning key on the wrong peg. (This happened to me a couple of years ago... ouch.)

3. Start with your 5 easiest pieces. I'm talking super-easy here. This allows your brain and your hands to warm up, because it's 9:30 in the morning.

4. Schlep through your set--about 45 minutes' worth--slowly. It's still early in the morning, and your hands aren't flying yet. Also, taking the first set slow helps get over "nerves." Be sure to have a few swigs of coffee or juice after every 2-3 pieces.

5. After the first set, and every set, stand up, stomp around a little, jump up and down--whatever seems appropriate to get your blood circulating and wake up the glutes. Have a little something to eat.
Effective: chocolate. Healthy: peanut butter or fruit.

6. Play your second set... most likely a repeat of the first set, if that's all the music you have ready. This will be your best performance of the day.

7. After the set and all of the remaining sets, get something light but substantial to eat, like the homemade bread with peanut butter and honey that you brought, plus some coffee or juice. Do not let your blood sugar crash, or you will be playing Charles-Ivesian versions of your pieces. You may love Ives' style, but it doesn't work for "Danny Boy."

8. Starting with the third set, you will notice some pretty wild mistakes popping up in the harder pieces. Do your best, and make a few mental notes on which pieces are starting to go down the tubes. Cut them from the next set. Continue to do this with the remaining sets.

9. If there are periods of time with no audience--no visitors to the store, home tour, whatever, stop playing. You can easily resume when someone comes around.

10. By the time you are in the 7th hour, you will have cut all but your easiest pieces--the ones you've been playing all your life, which are so ingrained in your muscle memory, that you can play them with no brain. By this time, you will have no brain.

11. When it's all over, thank the host/hostess for the opportunity to play, and thank the gods for allowing you to make it through without swearing in front of the audience.

12. Go home, unload, and crash.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 8

2011-04-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

A female demonstrator offers a flower to military police, October 21, 1967.
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hello,

I think that the Chernobyl incident might have been a very loud kind of alarm clock for many in my age. The “green movement,” a.k.a. “progs” (you might call them a Swedish version of hippies with a strong eco-/political agenda), had more or less gone silent, and then BOOM--suddenly the eco-questions were a hot item again, something everybody had an opinion about.

Around here we have to relate to these questions--it is really a matter of everything we do, every day. For example, do we live in a radon-radiating house or not?! If we do, we have to act, or we will get low radiation illness. That is a fact of life for us. The radon really was a very small issue earlier, but now we have to count every bit of radiation very carefully, making both radon and background radiation into very big and important issues.

This has made me think, of course. I made very careful choices when we started looking for where to live our life. I looked for an old-fashioned house with only old-fashioned materials in it--materials that have been thoroughly researched for centuries, materials we are accustomed to and know how to handle safely. I had Gandhi’s theories in the back of my mind. “Choose local materials, they fit the local weather and the local way of life.”

So we chose a very old house, and we have made very few changes to it and only with “safe” traditional materials. And it seems Mr. Gandhi was right in this issue, too. So far we have had very low figures on every radon measuring!

Since there are so few ways we are able to avoid or reduce radiation, I think it is important for us to do everything we are able to do. Reduce what we can, so our bodies have a chance to help us stand up against that which we cannot avoid.

- Absinthia

This is the end of "A Conversation with Absinthia." In future posts, Absinthia and I will discuss ways to live a simpler, more traditional life.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 7

2011-04-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

photo by Leonard J. DeFrancisci
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hello,

I am so happy to have a husband that very much agrees with me about living simply. The only thing he refuses to do, is get a real outhouse toilet. I grew up with one, so it seems natural for me, but he grew up in a city, with city-folks for parents.

It is very easy for me to just avoid certain things, like buying everything I see, going for trends and fashions, or believing I need a lot of stuff, and thinking that I need a lot of money to be happy.

We have chosen to not accept that way of life. We cannot work full time because of health issues, so we have to live on less money than what is considered the lowest income level in Sweden today. And yet we have a more stable financial situation than most of our neighbours. Funny, that. ;-)

We put our local library to full use, and by doing so we get to read all the books we want, see all the movies we want, play all the games we want, and visit a lot of exhibitions, presentations and talks, for free! :-)

We are to be considered poor with such a low income, but we live a much richer life than we did when we where still doing that “normal lifestyle.” I am so happy we turned off that road.

We have not made all the choices freely, though. Neither I nor my husband is in full health. We are not able to work full time--our health does not allow such luxury. But this made us think about what is a good life, what do we really cherish? What do we really want? What do we really need?

Maybe we would have made these choices later if our health hadn´t demanded that we take these steps, but I am sure we would have made them one day. We both think too much to not have come to these conclusions eventually.

- Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

I have an example of what happens when you don’t have a compelling reason to make a needed change...

When I was in my 20s, I worked in a lab at a university. The lab had a radioactive experiment that had been run, and it was sitting idle, to let the low-level radiation half-life out. The radiation was so weak, that a piece of paper would stop it, and it was contained in a glassed-in ventilated chamber.

For the year and a half that I officed in the lab, I was unable to get pregnant, and the physicist who also worked in the lab had trouble with his wife carrying any pregnancies to term--probably because the ventilator fan had been turned off, and the air exchange was with the room’s air.

Years later, I realized that the low-level radiation, which the physicist and I were exposed to for 8 hours a day was probably causing the problem. How could I have been so blind to that?

I guess we often only see what we want to see, or what others like my boss and the nuclear industry want us to see.

- amanda

Hi,

It proves once again, that nuclear power is not worth the price it takes from us. There are so many other ways to heat our houses and light our lamps, we don´t need this risky experimenting with our lives, our bodies, our future, and our world.

- Absinthia

This conversation is continued here:
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 8.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 6

2011-04-25T09:42:00.000-07:00

photo by Gnangarra
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hello,

Well, as I told you, we got pretty shocked by Chernobyl. It made a lot of us get to thinking, deeply thinking, about where the food came from and how it got there. The slow food movement is very strong here in Europe and in Sweden. We have authorized slow cities here and authorized slow food farmers and gardeners.

I buy very few of our food items in regular stores--I have this motto: if I can make it myself, then why should I not?!

If I can´t make it, I do my best to find a neighbour, or almost neighbour who can. If that is not possible, I go to a store. But only if there is no other choice. This is the reason why it took so long for me to get a spinning wheel. I had to find a real carpenter to make it for me, since I refuse to give my hard-earned money to a regular store.

I might sound a bit fanatic, but that is my way to make the best I can of the world. By really, truly choosing where I put my money.

-Absinthia

Dear Absinthia,

You go, girl! I do that too, but probably not as well as you. We have simplified our diet, and I bake our bread and cook from scratch as much as possible. It has been a long time since packaged food has been our mainstay.

I’ve been reading up on permaculture, and those folks have it all figured out, with energy and nature and sustaining ourselves on the Earth. But we just have to be sure the Earth doesn’t become toxic from those people who are using and abusing the Earth for their own gain, because then it will be impossible to survive.

It’s the “fanatics” like us, who can take care of the Earth. Those who are just doing what the established money-making society tells them they want to do, don’t understand what’s at stake and how to turn it around. Buying “green” bathroom cleaners made by a bleach company and driving cars that run on half gas and half biofuel won’t solve any problems.

Sometimes I wish I could live in an isolated self-sustaining community, but my family wouldn’t go for that at all.

-amanda

This conversation is continued here:
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 7.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 5

2011-04-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

The Fredrikstrands garden in Ekerö, Sweden
photo by Per Ola Wiberg
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hello,

I am dealing with my fears for all the dangers with radiation by being very very careful with the food. I am very careful with what food I buy, checking its origin carefully, and never buying anything ready made, I make it myself as much as possible. I am very much into “slow food,” “local food,” and “real food.” We buy a lot of veggies from a local gardener, and grow some ourselves. This might sound strange, but it is grown in greenhouses. That is standard here today. You just don´t want to grow things in the actual ground if it is possible to grow it in a greenhouse, in a pot, or in a raised bed.

Around here now, we grow things first and foremost in greenhouses, but sometimes you can´t afford a greenhouse, or the things you want to grow are too big for your greenhouse, then you grow it in raised beds or pots. If you grow in a greenhouse you still make raised beds or use pots. You buy all the soil in sacks from the national gardening firms. You don't want to grow something that you are going to eat in the ground. We still have problems with polluted earth and polluted growth.

Then there’s the risk for radioactivity in the moose meat and the reindeer meat--it is not about whether the meat is radioactive or not, is is about how high the level of radioactivity is. Is it an acceptable level of radioactivity, or not? If it is not, it has to be destroyed.

And I am very much an activist. I do what I can to leave this place in a better shape than it was when I got here. That is much better than to just accept that the politicians are turning it into a heap of junk, I think. That way I can look myself in the mirror, without bad conscience for not doing my best.

My husband is reading this blog, and he said he was proud of me, for daring to tell our experience to the world.
-Absinthia

For more on post-Chernobyl food production, see "Life After Chernobyl," in Mother Earth News, May/June 1987.

Dear Absinthia,

I’m proud of you, too, for speaking out. Thank you for sharing it with me!

Wow, I had no idea that there was a danger of ground contamination in parts of Europe after all this time, or even right after the Chernobyl meltdown. This just hasn’t been in the US news or anything. I wonder why??

Humanity really has been busy destroying the Earth that sustains us. This makes me so mad. A few opportunists cut corners, hide the truth, make a toxic mess, and the rest of us have to grow our food in greenhouses and deal with cancer for years and years and years.

Somehow, some way, I know this will get resolved. I don’t know how, and it might not be in my lifetime. But I know the Earth can make it through, and we… well, we make our choices and do the best we can. Hold good thoughts for the Earth and this crazy race of humans, and maybe we’ll make it too.

-amanda

This conversation is continued here:
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 6.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 4

2011-04-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

(map from "Radiation from Chernobyl," (2007). In UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library.)
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hi,

I saw posters today about a memorial, it is now 25 years since the Chernobyl acid rain. That poster and this conversation with you has activated a lot of memories I had totally forgotten, or maybe repressed, who knows really?

I remember now that for many years after Chernobyl, the news was full of information about how the native sami reindeer keepers had to slaughter their reindeer because of the acute radioactivity levels in the reindeer meat. They were unable to sell the meat and had to destroy it by digging it down in special pits. I thought so much about that. Their prime source of money is to sell the reindeer meat. Without that, where on earth would they get the money for everyday life? If they could not sell the meat, they would not get any money to buy any food, so... maybe they had to choose between starvation or eating that meat themsleves!? If the meat was too radioactive to eat, what happened when it was dug down, with the earth and the animals in the earth? I have no idea how many years that handling with the reindeer meat went on, maybe it still is going on.

I remember that for some years after the acid rain there was information in newspapers and other media about special places where you should go and have fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, and other food items that had been hunted/harvested in our area examined about whether it had too high levels of radioactivity to be allowed as food. This scared me so much! It was for a long while that I almost got eating disorders because I was afraid of possible radioactivity in the food.

After some years you learn to live with that low murmer of fear, but it never really dies down completely, at least it hasn't for me. I have learned to live with it, but that is not the same thing as accepting it, I think.

- Absinthia

You can find more details on the Sami people and their experience with Chernobyl here:
"Effects of the Chernobyl Disaster on Sami Life," by Melanie Blackwell

Dear Absinthia,

Living in fear is not a way to live. I think most of the politicians and the corporate powers in this world don’t care if we live in fear. Maybe they use it to manipulate us.

Either way, we have to do what we can to solve the problems that give us a fearful existence, and when we have done our best, then LIVE FEARLESSLY.

Who knows what tomorrow holds? We must find a way to be happy, moment-to-moment. That comes from doing our best to make things right, and appreciating this life for all the wonderful things it gives us. Appreciation is the antidote to fear, I believe.

-amanda

This conversation is continued here:
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 5.

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 3

2011-04-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

Three Mile Island Protest
This is part of a continuing series of email letters exchanged with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the whole series, start with Do the Right Thing.

Dear Absinthia,

Thank you for what you have written about the cold war and nuclear accidents. The Three Mile Island meltdown was a big deal here in the US, but Americans are so influenced by the media, that the corporate powers and politicians can usually get public opinion turned back around to their way of thinking after something like that. At the time I was very concerned, but I was in my early 20s, and I had grown up from my radical, activist days. My focus then was on graduating and getting married.

Sometimes I think that the life of an activist is very upsetting all the time. You have to be negative, loud, and very out-there with your emotions. I just couldn’t keep it up and still have a decent personal life.

I like to comfort myself with the thought that karma brings us the life lessons we need, and that means if I’m supposed to be safe, I’ll be safe. And if I’m supposed to get radiation sickness, I will. But either way, the best lessons that I need are presented in life. Same with everyone else.

However, there is a very important element missing in that attitude: compassion. If we, as humans, take care of our fellow humans and the Earth, we will grow as a sentient species. And that’s a pretty important thing to try to help along.

So finally, I have come to the point where I don’t worry about things very much, and if my intuition tells me to speak out or take action, I do. That’s the only way I can keep living this life and still be happy.

-amanda

This conversation is continued with Absinthia's reply:
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 4.

Chernobyl Monument

Conversation with Absinthia, Part 2

2011-04-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Three Mile Island: Before

Here is the second part of a continuing email conversation with my Swedish friend, Absinthia. To see the earlier posts, start with Do the Right Thing.

Hi, Absinthia,

When I was a kid in the US in the 1960s, I had weeks and weeks of lying in bed awake, terrified of nuclear war. After it went away, months would go by, and something would remind me of it, and the fear would return. This went on for years. Now that I’m older, I’m not afraid of death, so it’s not as bad, but I still think about the possibility of nuclear detonation.

I didn’t know anything about nuclear power plants back then. Actually there probably weren’t any that long ago.

- amanda

Hello :-)

Now I started to think again, about the fears of my childhood. The cold war was a reality when I was a child. I am now past 40 and I remember the iron curtain and the low murmur of the east and west leaders threatening each other as a continous background. I also remember the very first time a nuclear plant broke down, the Harrisburg incident [Three Mile Island]. Do you remember when and how that happened? I was a young girl child and the USA was very far away from where I lived then…across the ocean… All I remember then was my mother crying and very stern voices and faces on the adults.

Don´t you worry, lots of people agree with you, at least here in Europe. In a very recent election in Germany, not a national but a big local/semi national, the green party won very big! That means in reality that a big majority of the political power, in one of the most powerful countries in Europe is with the anti-nukes group. This had led to a national discussion about a moratorium, temporary closing, on the nuclear plants in Germany, which hopefully might lead to a permanent closure.

Here in Sweden, political parties with a pro-nukes agenda have run the country for more than 5 years now. But the Fukushima incident has shaken the political leaders quite a bit. The Green Party, which is one of the biggest right now and therefore having a lot of people listening to them, has started a very heated discussion about why the pro-nukes attitudes is treated like some kind of religious truth. The Green Party’s spokesperson pointed to the fact that Sweden makes much more energy than we need oursleves via water, air, and sun power, but still everyone says we need more more, more, and that fact is never doubted! And the nuclear plants are run for double the effect than they were originally designed just because of the “we need more-more-more” cult’s shouting!! “Why is that,” the Green Party’s spokesperson asked?

And I agree, that is a very good question, indeed. Why has no one doubted this, even though we have so many rivers with water power plants? And there are so many wind turbines built, almost no house is built today without sun power roofs, and everywhere we are working to reduce the need for energy and fossile fuel! Why is the idea that we need more energy just as strong and established as if it were a scientific fact?

So, you are not alone!

Even the politicians have started to realise things! …;-)

-Absinthia

(This conversation is continued here: A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 3.)

Three Mile Island: After

A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 1

2011-04-20T21:13:00.000-07:00

Chernobyl

In response to my post about nuclear power plants, Do the Right Thing, my Swedish friend, Absinthia initiated an email conversation, which she has kindly allowed me to share here. This is the first installment of a multi-part series:

Hi there,

I read your blog about how you feel about nuclear power, and oh my that raced my thoughts and feelings. I grew up in a small town, where a lot of the employment was at a nuclear plant. I was just seven when I came to the conclusion that no matter what the grown-ups said, nuclear power was just not worth all the risks! We got a pack of pills in the mail every year, that we should take in case something happened. I had nightmares about pill-packs! Pills were so scary, I refused to take any at all until I was more than 20 years old--all because of those yearly iodine pills from the nuclear plant.

I got beaten up at school, because of my anti-nuke opinion. One of the big scary guys had a father who worked at the nuclear plant. This proved to me that nuclear power is scary and violent.

Then we moved from that small town. Guess what happened on the day we moved…the acid rain from Chernobyl rained all over us, and the town we moved to. The amount of radioactivity in that town was highest in all of Europe, except of course the actual town of Chernobyl. This essential piece of information was withheld from us of course, until a year or so later. :-(

So I did did not get to walk in the forest, eat fish, pick mushrooms, or enjoy any other lovely outdoor life for more than 20 years. And I am always scared of what might show up healthwise, since I and the rest of my family ran in and out of that rain for a whole day, carrying furniture in and out of the van.

On the radio, a scientist said that there has been a big increase in cancer because of the Chernobyl rain. In our little town, at least 50 cases.

Guess what, I am still anti-nukes.

The incident in Japan only proved I am right, still. No wise inventions in the world can make nuclear power safe enough for it to be worth the risks.

- Absinthia

(Continued here: A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 2.)

Happy Equinox!

2011-03-20T09:06:00.000-07:00

Today is the Vernal Equinox, or Ostara as we say.

Do the Right Thing

2011-03-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

For all my life, I have known that nuclear power is just too dangerous to be used as a source of energy. And yet, nukes have been built all over the world and even in my own telephone area code. Day after day of looking at what Japan is going through, it's time to do something.

Nuclear energy is not socially responsible.

Here's what I did:
1. Googled "nuclear," "power" and my town to find the nearest plant
(or use this site: http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/)
2. Sent an email to them (see below)
3. Blogged about it

Subject: Responsible Nukes

Do the right thing. Don't make Texas into another Japan. You are placing us all in danger.

Close your plant and get it all out of here NOW.

- a Rockport resident

For a series of letters in response to this post, see
A Conversation with Absinthia, Part 1.