Sweet Action in the snow
Spinning Yarn Mad Libs
Ben makes fun of the many terms and steps involved in making yarn. Here's how you do it:
Take your washed wool and brush it into roving or a bat using paddles.
Take your roving and draft it into a bobbin of yarn using a spindle.
Take your bobbin and wind it into a hank using a niddy noddy.
Take your hank and wind it into a ball using a swift and ball winder.
Take your ball and knit it into a hat using needles.
Quick thoughts
- Last night I had to do an emergency. Not bad, I got home by 12:45. It meant I could sleep well knowing the call 2 person had to take the next emergency. Free and clear. I had a rude doctor and a mean patient. Luckily I sucked up to both of them well enough. The ICU nurse is the one who took it hard from them.
- Ah, a glorious long weekend off. No work until Tuesday!
- Monday I'm going to the dentist after at least 2 years off. Hurrah for dental insurance!
- I bought some lilies and my house smells amazing!
- Ben bought me the chocolate chip bagels I've been craving for two weeks. Don't get excited, it wasn't, like, a "pregnancy" craving. I just really really wanted some. That's a good way to start Saturday.
- I finished choreographing the opening dance number for Amanda's musical. I hope the kids pick it up fast on Monday!
- Amanda and I have a fun day planned - Alice in Wonderland, then dinner out, then craft and watch Every Little Step at home.
- Kick-puncher is still kicking and punching. He has weird sleep cycles.
- I want to buy a portable air conditioner/swamp cooler for this summer. Our room is always unbearably hot. I have a free trial of Amazon Prime that would give me free shipping. Is it crazy to buy an AC in March? How would I even know if it works well enough?
- Yesterday as I was cleaning up the clinic before going home I chatted with Ben on my cell. I was scrubbing human blood off the floor while merrily talking to my husband, and was struck by how NOT morbid it felt.
- I have a lot of spending money and don't know what to do with it. I hoard it and then forget it, never taking the splurge. Any ideas?
Pressed for time
arrived. I guess i need to seriously start working on that room. I'm
7 month pregnant today. Time is running out! But today is my one day
off over two weeks and it's booked full with an OB visit, grocery
shopping, choreography rehearsal, and putting my aching feet up for an
hour tonight. I worked four 12 hour shifts in a row (3/4 going into
OT), then 6 hours call back right after on Sunday. Today i'm off but
I have four more in a row starting tomorrow. Looks like saturday will
be nursery work day!
I married a stud
Birthday in photos
Breakfast in bed. A rare indulgence to get McDonalds.
Opened birthday presents. Love the crafting supplies, cards, and sweater. Do you see those sheets? That's part of my big present from Ben. We went shopping for a QUEEN SIZED bed! I've been wanting one ever since we left our tiny apartment in Boulder. Finally now with two employed adults and a growing belly, we're making the upgrade from our cramped full sized bed. It's really the best present I could imagine getting this year!
We had lunch at Panera Bread. Sure, not very fancy. But there aren't any locations in our neighborhood, so it's special to go there. Plus my favorite sandwich, the Bacon Turkey Bravo, is a double no-no for pregnancy. I do my best to avoid bacon (nitrates) and cold deli meats (listeria). But hey, it's my birthday! One little sandwich can't do much harm. Totally worth it.
Picked out cupcakes for later. After my cupcake tour of Denver I knew the best place - Lovely Confections!
Bought some darling fabric at my favorite craft store. I squeezed a lot of yarn wistfully. Ben wisely reminded me of all the beautiful skeins in my basket at home. But it's hard to resist beautiful yarn when you have spending money in your pocket! Some other time . . .
Afternoon snack at Sweet Action! They even had my all time favorite ice cream flavor, Mint Chocolate Chip. Ben is having Banana Reese's Pieces.
Then home for a while to start a knitting project (because 2 knit works-in-progress isn't enough) and baby blanket with the flannel I bought. Amanda came over and we talked choreography until my other friends arrived.
We ordered cheesesteaks, french fries with cheese whiz dipping sauce, chips and soda, and of course the cupcakes! It was a delicious feast, and a nice change from our usual pizza party.
Miranda surprised me with this gorgeous beret that I had seen her working on. It's perfect for me and so finely knit! (BTW, if you haven't seen the play kitchen that she made her daughter, click that link straightway and look in amazement!)
Thank you to all my friends and family who called and visited and pitched in to make my day really really great. I love you all!
28
Thank you for all the birthday well wishes! I had a wonderful day. My dear sweet husband took me to all my favorite things and I had a great time visiting with friends tonight. I took a few pictures to post later showing what we did to celebrate.
Dreamsicle Pie
I improvised a pie based on a key lime pie recipe. My friends helped us eat it and they demanded that I write down the recipe to remember. Sadly I don't have a picture because it was devoured too fast!
Dreamsicle Pie
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup clementine juice
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 2 limes
zest from all the clementines that you squeezed
Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl. I think it would have stirred smoother if I had blended the sour cream and condensed milk before adding the juice. Pour the filling into a pre-made graham cracker crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until you see tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface. (Don't brown it!) Remove and cool completely. Let chill in the fridge, preferably overnight. Slice and serve with whipped cream.