and we have ice

So our friends Jenn and Dugan were over the other evening for dinner (it was after the marathon grape jelly making...after the Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest). Jenn and I had spoken about the possibility of Dugan hooking up our fridge's ice maker at one point. So that night, he took a look. We already had a valve tapping into one of the lines. We even had a hole that'd been plugged up by the previous owners of the house. All we really had to do (in theory) is by the tube and the fittings to hook it up.

This morning Dugan came over and he and Kevin got everything taken care of. We now have ice. Real, made in our house, ice. No more buying ice. Sigh...

It's funny how ten years ago, an ice maker would not have made me smile. Meh, it was just ice. We could buy ice. But now, now it's a beautiful thing. Of course it's ready right in time for the fall like weather we've been getting (although yesterday and today have been gorgeous).

Huh, ice.

brian

I went to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Fest (OFFF) yesterday with three fabulous women. We got up early and headed to the Canby fairgrounds. Much lovely yarn was purchased (I'd been on a yarn diet, saving for OFFF). I got yarn for Chaz's wedding cardigan (not at OFFF, but from one of my amazing friends who dyes yarn...and she had much undyed yarn that she offered up). I found the perfect yarn for Jill's shrug for Chaz's wedding. I also found some yarn for a Christmas present for my sister. And then some lovley yarn for a lace shawl for myself (?) or for whomever it tells me it needs to go to once it's done. I also picked up some skeins of alpaca for the "left over" blanket. I needed cream and I didn't have any cream in the stash...what?!?! :)

I will post what I got over at Ravelry once I have photos taken (sadly I can't do that today since I am working today).

However, I did make friends with a special someone in one of the flocks...

Meet my new friend, Brian. As soon as I pet him, his tail started WAGGING!!! With much enthusiasm. It was really quite sweet.

Okay, must gather my things to go to work downtown. At least I get to work at my store. Of course I am taking the lace shawl to start playing with...what?!? It is Sunday, most likely it will be slow (at least I'm kind of hoping it will be so I can play, although if it is busy time will pass faster...oh the catch 22).

aunty jill

Josie is in love. I always knew she would find that one friend of ours whom she just couldn't wait to see, would wiggle just as much as when she sees us after a long day. That one friend is her Aunty Jill.

Jill and I met the first week before our freshman year of college started. She was sitting alone at a table in the dining room. A group of girls I was hanging out with suggested we go ask her to sit with us. My first reaction was, "what if she wants to be left alone?" I'm glad nobody listened to me.

She became my closest friend in about two minutes after meeting her.

She became Josie's favorite aunt in a little less time...

Last night Jill and Mark (her husband) came over for dinner. It was a slightly less than stellar day for me but during dinner Jill kept giggling. She told us somebody was resting her chin on her foot. I had no idea her foot was in the air. I'd thought Josie had lowered her chin to Jill's foot on the floor.

That moment right there, made my night.

A couple of different moments made my morning this morning, but that may be another post (or I might just send those friends an email thanking them).

How can you not smile at a face like Josie's?

when pigs fly

63F

It was a chilly morning as I awoke to the soft sounds coming from my alarm clock (I have it set to a radio station that is not too jarring). No animals climbed across my head, chest, body. Simon was content to snuggle up and keep himself warm against us. Josie was starting to rouse, but had yet to come over to my side of the bed to poke me with her cold, wet nose. Chloe was not in the room with us.

I actually turned on the heater in the bathroom downstairs this morning as I fed the crew. I figured if I turned it on at that time, it'd be warm by the time I went down for my shower. It was.

The past few days I've been walking, riding my bike, relying on my body power to get to work. This morning, I decided to take the car. I need to run down to Portland Fixture (I LOVE going to this place and poking around) to get some things for the kids store. I figured it would be easier to use the Subie as opposed to strapping something to my back or relying on getting a car from one of the guys here. Yesterday I'd hoped to borrow Ahmed's car, but he had people with him and I didn't want to leave them stranded at the office.

Speaking of work...I better get to it. I've got photos to take and load up to our site. I've got fixtures to go buy. I've got shoes to unload and figure out where I am storing. I've got a day ahead of me...

when life settles down

It's funny how often I hear those words. "I'll be able to do ___X___ when life settles down." When is that exactly? I've been waiting, but it just seems to continue down the road of crazy busy (emphasis on crazy).

Today I work downtown (my old haunt) with our newest newbie. She and I have a ton of stock to put away in the small store room. I do have plans, great big plans. She has no clue what is in store for her today.

Tonight we have friends coming over after 8:00. We'll play Rock Band 2 and enjoy ourselves until the wee hours I am sure.

Tomorrow I have a tiny pie party to attend. It starts at 2:00, thank goddess. I can't imagine a late night tonight and an early day tomorrow. I do have to go and buy all my ingredients tomorrow (well, the apples) as well as the tiny pie "pans" which are 8 oz canning jars, with lids. I'm pretty excited about it, really. Of course ten years ago, I would have looked at you like you had a second head sprouting from your shoulders if you told me I'd be excited about making tiny pies.

I'm ready...so when's it going to settle?

crumby? crummy?

I woke up in a little bit of a foul mood this morning. Perhaps I had a dream that I am not remembering that left me feeling a bit "meh"?

Perhaps it was the knowledge that a "fun" day was waiting for me when I got into work?

Maybe it was just...I don't know.

I hate it when I'm asked/told to do something a particular way and when said thing is done in that way and the outcome is undesirable, I get blamed.

I'm having a bitch of a day so far. And honestly, it's probably best for me to not write right now. Yoga will be welcomed with open arms this afternoon!!!

shhh! i'm trying to talk here

I have had people tell me often, throughout my life, that I talk a lot. It finally has hit the time where I've heard it enough to want to say something snarky and rude back (because yes, I think people are being rude when they make that observation and feel the need to comment on it). I mean, honestly, do they not think I hear myself speak?

So now, I will probably be silent for a few more days because my in-laws from Chicago are in town. They arrived yesterday and leave on Thursday. We're going to get fabulous baked goods this morning and possibly hang a chandelier in our almost completed kitchen.

better beans

This morning as I was attempting to put together a lunch that would be substantial enough I looked outside at my garden. I had 20 minutes before I needed to leave to get to work on time. What could I pick to take with?! BEANS! I ran out, grabbed a handful and came in to boil them.

I just opened the container of beans and ate one. I swear, our whole garden could be green beans and I'd be happy. They are the perfect side for so many dishes. Right now I'm eating leftover ravioli and a green bean is perfection alongside.

I know I can't shut up about these damn beans, but let me expand on why they are tastier than those you find at the grocery store...

They squeak when you eat them. Not a crunch, like they are undercooked, but squeak. They are firm as you bite into them. The aroma they make as they cook (both boiling and steaming) is heavenly. Enough to wake Kev out of his slumber this morning, actually.

And now...they are all in my belly.

thanks mom and dad

Mom and I have been talking about our kitchen reno (which is so near complete I can almost see it). I told her that we were wanting to get a new set of dishes since ours were cracking and now didn't look right with the space. She spoke of going to a few places, but there was one that we had coupons for...so we found them there.

I couldn't wait to get them in the dishwasher so I could use them. I've already eaten dinner off of one of the plates and I'm letting a bowl cool so I can have some ice cream.

Thank you Mom and Dad. Christmas came early today. We love you both!

perfect

It seems to me that my written world here has gone a bit stale. It's not that life is stale, but I've not had enough time, enough inspiration, enough ___(fill in the blank)___. And you know what? I'm pretty okay with that.

I sometimes think about why I started writing. It's not that I felt I was a writer of fabulous words and just HAD to get them out. More like, I wanted to not have to write the same email to all our family and friends after having moved here. The cool thing is that I've met a few people along the way. A perk.

So as I reflect upon this I am struck by this thought:

The air today is perfect here. The sun is warm on my face as I harvest more beans (sorry Dad, they're going in my belly tonight, but there are more on the vine). Neighbors are out walking with their baby. And the breeze feels cool on my skin.

I find it hard to tear myself away from such a perfect evening any longer...

first beans blanched

I have done it. I forced myself to NOT eat the beans I harvested today. Instead I blanched them and froze them for Thanksgiving dinner. There was probably about one healthy serving (two smaller) picked with many more on the plant that will be ready in a couple of days. I WILL be serving my home grown greenie beanies for Thanksgiving with my family. I am so proud of these beans (yeah, that feels as odd to write as it reads).

We just got home from a burger out. We've been really good about not eating out as much, but tonight I was tired from working, I didn't want to cook anything, and I just got paid.

really?

So I am sitting here at work, once again. It's been a much busier Labor Day than I thought (read feared) it would be. This makes me happy. However, what makes me cranky is the girl who just came in and very cheerily stated, "Oh, your working on Labor Day. And we're not..." giggling the whole time.

I want to write a book and call it "Stupid things that come out of customer's mouths" or something like that. I'm sure with the staff here we could come up with a large selection pretty darn quickly.

One of my faves was, "the sign on your door that has the hours...it's not right, is it?" said to me 45 minutes AFTER we'd closed. When I said yes, they proceeded to hang around even longer. I finally told them they'd have to come back as I had a life to live outside of the store.

I just have to wonder about people sometime.