Cricket in a Biscuit

We are generally a pretty hardy bunch, so the last few weeks have been overwhelming and a little bewildering. At least one person has been stay-at-home sick almost every day since the middle of January. A dental crisis and some overtime hours tacked on for good measure was more than I felt equipped to handle. But, as I explained to Laney when she was wondering why Daddy was out shoveling even though he was in misery, being a grownup means doing what needs to be done, even when you don't feel like it. It seems like the worst is behind us now, knock on wood, and I'm looking forward to everyone being back to normal. There is, however, an upside to an entire family requiring rest and unable to leave the house: plenty of time for quiet hobbies. We may have been under a self-imposed quarantine, but I got so much accomplished! Before, the illness, I finished the two cowls on which I'd been working. The Bear Hug is wrapped up and waiting for Ainsleigh's birthday, ...

"Don't use your head, and the whole body usually suffers." "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Two quotes, the first from my grandpa, the second from a high school teacher, which convey the same message; it is incumbent on you to think things through and plan ahead. Failure to do so will result in consequences which are yours to handle. The paradigm shifts, however, when you are married and/or have kids. Poor planning on the part of one — or both — can have implications with a broader reach. We were hit with a pretty big snowstorm on Friday, 17.2 inches before 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was not a surprise storm — we had several days warning, but still we were unprepared, and there were consequences. Fortunately, none were serious, and we learned some good lessons. First lesson: When a storm is coming, move the vehicles off the street before there is a foot of wet, heavy snow on the ground. Maybe even pu...

Soap, socks, sheep, sewing, sawing and siblings Last week , I mentioned wanting to try an old, but new to me, recipe for pumpkin patch pie. The little girls and I stuffed a pumpkin with apples, dried cranberries, cinnamon and sugar, too much nutmeg and baked it. In the end, it wasn't as good as we'd hoped, but still worth another shot after some adjustments. Our savory fall dish before, during and after baking. I tried a couple new soap recipes. The first was a deodorizing kitchen soap made with coffee. I found the recipe in a book of hot process soaps checked out from the library. Before returning the book, I copied down the most intriguing recipes. The first I tried was a goat milk soap. It was a nice soap, but through it I discovered a preference for cold process. Fortunately, most recipes can be used with either process, so I used cold process for the kitchen soap. It was a large batch. I have a  mold Darren made from a rain gutter, which turns out the perfe...

Okay, so it's really more of a floppy, wonky clutch, and I helped, but…  Pillow cases sewn on Ladies' Day We got a really nice variety with each person choosing their own fabric. …it is still a bag a kid can make then use to carry their treasures. All you need is a fat quarter, but let's start at the beginning. In October, my aunt hosted, Ladies' Sewing Day. Everybody brought fabric, and, those of us who had them, brought our sewing machines. We spent the day making pillow cases for the pediatric unit at a local hospital. It was a great time, and ever since, Laney has been begging and begging for a "kid sewing machine." Weeks later, it was about time to start Christmas shopping. As I was wandering through Wal*Mart, I saw a kid sewing machine! It's a little chintzy and recommended for age six and up, but it's a kid sewing machine! I had decided I wasn't going to buy any toys for Christmas this year, because I wanted to give the ki...

Before my mom taught me to knit, crochet and sew, that knowledge was passed to her. My Grandma Hansen was a tough lady. The kind who wouldn't tolerate rude behavior or disrespect from anyone old enough to control the tone of their voice. She could still a child squirming through church with an outstretched hand. She was also the kind who, with a wink and a smile, would slide an M&M across the table to a kid to shy to ask for one, then elicit a whispered, "Thank you," with a gentle, but expectant, "You're welcome." Grandma Hansen in 2005. Grandma was also a crafter. She gifted many crochet dolls to her grand-daughters. One Christmas, each grand-kid was given a pillow case. Mine, a black and white panda print with lace on the cuff, is still in circulation. Another year it was a pajama set, wrapped and topped with a little crochet animal. My brother's gift topper was accidentally sent out with the wrapping paper, and she made him another. It sh...

"What is the point?!" I would imagine most parents have thought — or yelled — this question more than once in their daily life. I was there today, wondering why I put in so much effort for what appears to be zero return. I had two objectives for the day: make a book bag for Laney to bring to story time at the library tomorrow, and fly kite with the kids. Sounds simple enough, but beginning a project seems to be the the cue for my normally independent and decently behaved children to turn into clingy little savages. They climbed on the table; ripped down the window shade; engaged in mortal combat over crayons, of which there is no shortage — trust me; and threw a half dozen whiny fits over stickers. All before lunch. After our lunch of sandwiches and twice-spilled milk, we walked to our perfect kite flying spot and had some fun. For a few minutes. As I was loading Grumplestiltskin in the stroller for an early trip home, I was wondering again, "What is the point?!...

It seems Easter is becoming as commercialized as Christmas. Baskets are getting bigger and bigger as parents cram bigger – and more expensive – goodies inside. Well, I'm not buying it. Of course I picked up my favorite candy to steal from their baskets while they aren't looking, but I know the the best Easter gifts are often the simplest. My all-time favorite: a jump rope. One of those flimsy cloth numbers more suited to tying things up than their intended purpose. The plan was to make puppets for the kids, and I spent hours on ravelry finding just the right patterns. However, Laney's jacket took much longer than expected, and there just wasn't time. I knocked out a Slimey for Ollie in a hurry, but still had nothing for Laney. Months ago I had approached her about turning her beloved (read too small) teapot pajamas into a teddy bear. She was receptive, but I never got around to it. So, that's what I decided on. The problem was, her pj's are so well...