Gwen's Tracks

Frost

2009-10-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Well Autumn is really here- the leaves are changing, I scraped frost off of my car this morning and I could see my breath... It is wonderful. In preparation for winter, I have been knitting myself a new scarf that actually matches my ski jacket and some glittens (flip top mittens with gloves inside!). Here are some pics!

I also made some kick-ass cupcakes for a work colleague's daughter's first birthday! Mmmmm...

A Lovely Saturday

2009-09-19T17:02:00.001-07:00

A mini-retreat at church today- a wonderful time of quiet. Plus, I just made some kick-ass scones- maybe the best scones ever... Orange cranberry and Lemon blueberry! The key is to freeze EVERYTHING and work fast!
Mmmmm.....

Massive Update

2009-09-16T08:41:00.001-07:00

Well I've been busy- just not posting. Part of the problem was that I threw out my back (again) but two weeks later I'm back in commission!
I finally finished the quilt- I LOVE it- it isn't perfect (all of my corners don't match perfectly) but it looks just like I wanted it to- Yummy, yes? Plus it's huge- like queen sized... I didn't origionally intend it to be that big but it just sort of took over...

I've got lots of other knitting and spinning projects going (yes, I said spinning!)

As for the knitting, I broke down and got "Socks from the toe up". Love the book- I've started one of the pairs for myself!

I've also started knitting Christmas gifts but no pics of those as "certain people" may be reading this blog!

I've also got baby gifts going... but again, no pics... it will be a surprise!

Last on the knitting front, I'm starting a scarf... I saw this pattern on Ravelry and LOVED it!!!

Gotta get it done for fall though with my fall colors! I've not cast-on yet but here is the yarn- Cascade 220-Mmmmmm my favorite colors!

Now, I mentioned spinning- Well my Grandma is quite supportive of my crafty endeavors and provided funding for my very own wheel!!! May I present my Ashford Traveller. I got it unfinished and oiled the wood before I put it together. I've decided to name it D.E.B. (My grandparent's initials- in memory of them!)- quarky, I know but there it is...

I also purchased a few other items that are neccessary for spinners including a niddy noddy (came with my wheel), a ball winder, a lazy kate and a swift. I'm now ready to SPIN!!!!

Here is a pic of my first skien. I got the wool (merino) from a local fiber store. it is three ply and I'm going for one long color change- from light to dark - you'll be able to see it when I knit with it!

Lastly, here is a picture of Smokers in the morning- all cute and curled up!!!!

Happy Fall Knitting and Crafting!!

I'm still here!

2009-09-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy but I haven't gotten myself together to post... I've almost finished my quilt- I have a bit of quilting to do and the binding- to be posted soon...
My spinning wheel (and accessories) also arrived and I have finished the wood and assembled- I've done a small amount of spinning as I've thrown out my back (from the quilting!!)
Knitting has also been happening- baby sweaters, socks, scarves, bibs and burp cloths!
Pics and updates soon- this weekend (three day!) will be a major catch up/finish up/ order live weekend so stay tuned!!!

Friends and Progress....

2009-08-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a pic of us single ladies at Todd's wedding and a lab pic! It was a wonderful wedding!

Plus, there has been some progress on the quilting. I have 6 completed blocks and 40 other center squares. I'm thinking that quilting may not be for me... though now that I've got the center squares done things are going much more smoothly. I'm determined to finish this one and one other smaller one that I've already cut fabric for.... Then I may stick to knitting, cooking, embroidery and crochet for a while!

Tough Decisions Call for a Vote

2009-08-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm trying my hand a quilting but can't decide on a block pattern... vote for the one you like best !

1:

2:
3:
4:
5:

Some Recent FOs

2009-07-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've finished another baby sweater:

This is the last one for a while using this pattern though... I'm really bored with it so I got a new one!

ALSO, this is my first yarn spun on the rented Ashford Traveller. It is 420yds of superwash merino at about a lace/fingering weight. I was really quite pleased with myself though I'm sure when I get my own wheel and practice my yarn will be more consistent!

I'm planning some sort of lacy scarf with this... still not decided on a pattern though!

As for WIPs I've got a few knitting projects still going plus a mystery project that has quickly taken over my living room! Poor Smokey now has quite the obstacle course to navigate to get to the kitchen and his food!

What do you do while watching a Harry Potter Marathon? Sew of course!

2009-07-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

In preparation for seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Monday evening, I'm watching Harry Potter 1-5 today! Now I can't just sit and watch movies- I have to be doing something creative!
I've been coveting the box bags that have been floating around on blogs and Etsy recently and decided to make a few for myself. I had purchased the materials over a month ago but the arrival of the spinning wheel put the box bags to the back of the closet! Sadly, the wheel has been returned and now I have time to try my hand at making some pouches for the numerous knitting projects I have on needles! So my apartment was turned over to sewing this afternoon:

Here are pics of the first bag:

I made three bags in all: I also made a needle case for my double-pointed needles. I have so many of them now and they are spread all over the apartment so I can't find the ones I want!

While I was digging around for sewing things I realized just how big my needle craft stashes are! I have 5 half finished cross-stitch/embroidery projects going plus materials for 9 others! Then there are 4 knitting projects on needles and yarn for another 50-but all neatly (and compactly stored!) Someday soon I'll dig it all out and take pictures.
I'll have pics up later in the week of my first skein of wheel spun yarn and another finished baby sweater with the cutest buttons!

PS. I have tried to post this several times... apparently this program does not like word... blagh...hopefully it works this time as I've retyped the whole thing!

In the Burgh

2009-07-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I posted! I had a lovely time with my rented spinning wheel-but sadly it had to be returned. I spun about 5 oz of lovely superwash merino into a nice lace-weight two ply. I'll have pics up soon and I'm thinking of turning it into a lacy scarf... I've not knitted lace before so that should be interesting!
Right now I'm at the parents house in Pittsburgh. I had planned the trip to coincide with the wedding of my oldest friend- (we played together before we were four!). The wedding was lovely- I have to snatch pics from some of the people who were there to show you all. It was really wonderful to see old family friends.
We've been spending lots of time with the grandparents and had a great family picnic on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately I lost the beanbag tournament- but in fairness, Kelly and John, who won, owned the cornhole set- they have an unfair practice advantage!
More time with friends and family for the next day or so then back to Minneapolis!

Misc Update

2009-06-21T19:58:00.001-07:00

It's been about two weeks since I've had blogging time! Never fear- I've been busy crafting and creating. Last week I made a cake (using my Wilton Skills, of course) for a work colleague's birthday as per her request: chocolate cake, peanut butter fondant filling, vanilla buttercream frosting and covered with peanut butter cups- Mmmmmm...

Now for the real excitement in my crafting life... as you know, I've been experimenting with spinning yarn using a drop spindle. Well, recently I've felt frustrated with the slowness of the drop spindle process and have begun coveting a spinning wheel. Now, spinning wheels are expensive and I'm not going to drop that kind of cash without one, finding the perfect wheel for me and two, figuring out if this is something I really want or just a passing fad... Just outside of Minneapolis is a wonderful woman named Detta- she has a "shop" in her home with lots of different wheels (and looms and wool, and books....) so I took a trip out to visit. I spent three hours trying different wheels and have found one that I really like. Unfortunately the one I really want is not rentable... so I rented my second choice for two weeks to try it out and see what I think. Here is the Ashford Traveller....

This is the fiber I am spinning- a superwash (meaning it won't felt- see previous post- in the wash) merino (very soft) wool from the Fiber Studio in South Minneapolis

This is my first attempt- there were some consistency issues and my plying (twisting two strands together) isn't perfect but I'm really pleased with my first attempt- I'd say that there is about 90 yards of sport weight yarn here. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it though- maybe just keep it as a reminder of my first spinning wheel experience...

This is my second attempt- much better- I'm waiting to spin all of the fiber I have to ply this- I'm not sure if I'm going to go with two or three ply but I'm hoping to get it fine enough to knit a pair of socks with it!

Finally, this is for Els- your sweater orders are, in fact, in progress- I hope to have them done, along with Dad's Father's Day socks, when I visit in July!

Fun with Felting

2009-06-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

I've finished my first knitting projects ment to be "felted" or "fulled" One is a pin and the other a bowl. Here are the before and after pics!

Morrell Mushrooms

2009-06-05T08:46:00.001-07:00

One of the spring culinary crazies in Minnesota is Morrell Mushrooms... I had heard about these jewels of the forest and had seen pictures of them but never encountered them. Now, as you have read previously, Smokey took up chewing plants so in my search for pet grass (without having to trek to a Petsmart in the suburbs) I went into my local, organic co-op and what do I see staring me in the face at the front door???? You guessed it, Morrell mushrooms... Now at over $30 a pound I purchased only three....

I sauteed them in a little butter, salt and pepper and boy they were worth the $5 I paid for the three of them... SOOOOOOOO good. I can't even describe the flavor as I've never tasted anything like it- I highly recommend that if you ever encounters these decedent little bits of goodness you get yourself some- they are definitely something to experience (but not to share!)

Smokey Eats Grass...

2009-06-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased a new house plant to replace the one I let die.... Shortly after purchasing the plant and placing it in a spot where it would get the most of the limited light that enters my room, I began to hear a crunching noise at night... Smokey was eating my plant!!!

Caught in the act!!!

I even got him this pet grass to eat instead of the house plant- but he still prefered "my" plant to "his" so I had to find a new home for it (the plant- not Smokey)

I'm on a Busy Bee Crafting Spree

2009-05-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

My latest projects have been gifts...

The weather is warming up here in MN and the trees are green!!! Hurray for summer!!! Now I just have to get my summer clothes out and put away the winter sweaters- hmmm... when was the last time I said that?

The Obsession Deepens

2009-05-12T15:30:00.001-07:00

I went to Shepherd's Harvest this past weekend. It is a fair sized fiber/knitting /sheep show. It was totally wonderful and I was hugely tempted to spend LOTS of money on the beautiful hand spun and hand dyed yarns but I was good... I only got two skeins of sock yarn.

The problem came when I saw how fun spinning (actually taking wool and making yarn) could be... because, really, I don't do enough crafty things already- must add one more to the list..... So I bought myself a cheap drop spindle and some cheap Merino wool... I got home and thought I'd break out my new toys.... and here is the result:

Predrafting the roving:

Setting the twist:My first skein of yarn- single ply, heavy worsted weight, 50 yards:

I'm now obsessed. I LOVE IT. I will say that I was given fair warning... many blogs and websites say that it is easy to get caught up into spinning- well now I am. You can put me down in the "crazy lady who has a cat and spins yarn" category of nuts....

I've been busy!

2009-05-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've posted but life has been busy! My weeks have been full at work and the weekends have been busy with outings, spring walks, crafting and cooking. I keep saying how much I love the spring but it is really true! I've been able to watch the tulips come up out of the ground and bloom and now the flowering trees are coming into bloom! Here are some of the tulips outside my door:
As for crafting I'm working on lots of baby things. This is the latest baby sweater for my cousin's baby Mallory:

I also managed a pair of slippers for Mom for Mother's Day:

As for cooking, I've been in an ethnic mood. I tried my hand at making pho ga (Korean chicken soup) for the first time and thought it turned out very well.

I used the leftover chicken to make carrot, chicken chow mein:

Changing continents, I made pupusas for the first time (think tamale without the corn husk)

Hope everyone is doing well- enjoy May!

The First Flowers of Spring and a Summer Haircut

2009-04-15T16:56:00.001-07:00

The weather has been absolutely beautiful (and the allergies are remaining drug controlled so I can enjoy it!) and the first flowers of spring have blossomed. I have been watching the sprouts and leaves come up from the mud all week during my walks to the bus and here they are- these are in my apartment's front yard!

I've also continued the trend of shortening my hair- I chopped it all off over the weekend and I LOVE it!

Hope everyone is enjoying their spring and getting ready for summer!!!

Fondant Finale

2009-03-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here's the final fondant cake! It was a fun class but I'm glad that it's over- time to sleep in Saturday morning.

Spring Fever

2009-03-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

While I do love the spring (I have even left the house without a coat- gasp!!!), apparently it does not love me. Hay fever has hit in a BIG way. Friday was a slightly sore throat and yesterday was full blown, can't breathe, can't swallow, no contacts, head exploding allergy attacks. Not cool... I've now dug out the allergy drugs- all sorts along with lots of tissues... Let's hope that whatever is blooming dies quickly.

I've continued to be crafty during the nice weather, though soon I may move my knitting sessions to a blanket outside- it's not that warm yet! Here are some "in progress" pics of the burp cloths that I'm knitting- there will be bibs also!

On the cake decorating front, we made gumpaste flowers in class on Sat- I love the daisy's and the "fantasy flower" though I'm calling it a poppy! There will be another cake next week!

My First Foray with Fondant

2009-03-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've finished my first fondant cake!!! I now realize why fondant cakes cost so much... The time, effort and expense are considerable... My arms and shoulders ache to prove it! Here are some pics- I went with a St. Patrick's Day theme for obvious reasons.

I've also finished the first sock of my first PERSONAL pair of socks. The other pairs I've knitted have all gone out as gifts but these I'm keeping!

Blankie Friends and Fondant Friends

2009-03-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've had my first fondant course and it went well, I think. No pictures yet as all we did was cover a cake board but.... next week is our first cake and in honor of St. Patrick's day I think I'm going to do a shamrock theme! Stay tuned for updates...

I've also completed another knitting project- blankie friends! I remember how precious my blankie was to me and so I thought I'd make some special friends for some of my pregnant friends! Here are some quick pics...

Misc. Happenings

2009-03-02T15:29:00.000-08:00

I've been plugging along on a few knitting projects lately- the orders for baby sweaters keep coming in so I'm trying to get those done. Here is a pic of the latest one for Sam's friends...

I'm also working on some socks (as always) and a hat.

I've been up to my usual baking and cooking- I made mini cupcakes- dangerous to just pop in the mouth!

I've also been inspired to take another Wilton Cake decorating class. I've already taken Course 1 and taught myself Course 2 so I thought Fondant would be interesting... Plus it is at a reasonable hour on Saturdays in March. Now, I've heard that the Wilton Fondant is both expensive and tastes absolutely horrible. I've decided to make my own... there are some very easy recipes on the web for "Marshmallow Fondant". It is basically adding two pounds of sugar to melted marshmallows. It tastes great and seems to be quite malleable from my playing around- Hopefully it will work fine for the class. Here are some pics of the process- imagine powdered sugar everywhere!

Finally, while I believe I've weathered the worst of the winter, it is still cold. Here are some pics of cars frozen to the ground with icicles from the parking lot...Burrrr....

A Weekend of Cooking

2009-02-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

I finally had time this weekend to cook- lots.... I made long life noodles, scalloped potatoes, baked potato soup, cookie press cookies and baked three meat pasta- it was so much fun- and tasty! My freezer and fridge are now stocked for the next few weeks- I love cooking!

My First Afghan!

2009-02-07T14:40:00.000-08:00

While I was home for Christmas Gram taught me how to crochet- I know, you say to yourself, how could I not already know how.... but there it is- I admit my deficiencies... Anyway, I just finished my first crocheted afghan- Smokey likes it too!

Fun Filled Weekend

2009-02-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

I had a busy but fun weekend Jan 30- Feb 2. It was my friend, Alessia's, birthday - she is actually from Italy and we (the Lange Lab) thought it was a good idea to take her to the Olive Garden- so she could feel at home (can you hear my sarcasm?).

On her actual birthday Alessia made pizza from her family recipe for Nancy and I- plus I kicked both their butt's in Oceanopoly (Monopoly with a sea theme- from my marine bio days).

Then, on Sunday, we got together to watch my Steelers beat the Cardinals at my place!

See- I told you it was a crazy weekend! Crazy but lots of fun...

Minnesota Swarm

2009-01-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

Minneapolis/St. Paul has a professional lacrosse team named the Swarm. They offered free tickets to students to the first game of the season so I went to my first lacrosse game! Here are some pics!

Gwen and Kris:

Alessia and Jose:

The Game:

The Mascot:

The Cheerleader/dancers:

Winter

2009-01-10T12:35:00.001-08:00

I'm surviving my first winter in 6 years pretty well though I've learned that there are several essential pieces of information I've picked up.

First: layers- the more layers the better these include: land's end long underwear- the best thing ever...: turtlenecks and tanktops for under shirts- another layer is always welcome...: sweaters for over shirts- the previous comment applies: puffy down vest: fantastic under the jacket on especially cold mornings...: Hat, scarf and gloves- any exposed skin at -10F is bad- very bad

Second: snow boots with miraculous traction- they appear not to shovel sidewalks here so you need TRACTION so you don't fall on your butt (I've already fallen twice and now wear my last season's style boots ALL THE TIME)

Third: don't put mascara on until you get inside- if your eyelashes freeze on the way to the bus the mascara runs when they thaw and you look like a raccoon- if you haven't guessed, I learned this from experience....

Last: underground tunnels, though confusing, are our friends...

Smokey is home...

2009-01-10T12:31:00.001-08:00

Smokey appears to be HAPPY to be back in Minneapolis and has taken up his usual reclining position in the chair beside my bed....

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! I had a fantastic 3 week long visit with family and friends in Pittsburgh. Elsbeth's wedding was wonderful (pics to come) and Christmas was very nice. For the first time in quite a while, I got to put up a Christmas tree and bake cookies! I knitted all of the gifts I gave this year- socks for Dad and Els, slippers for Andy and a neck, collar thing for Mom- I forgot to take pics of them but I think they were all pleased with my efforts! I made it back to MN with minimal hassle and I think that Smokey the cat is happy to be back home.

A Note

2008-11-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

As you can tell I finally got my butt in gear and published some (alright, quite a few) new posts. I think there are 4-5 of them so just keep scrowling down till you see something you recognize! I'll see lots of you soon for Els's wedding and Christmas!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T17:13:00.000-08:00

I cooked a WHOLE Thanksgiving Dinner this year... Here are some pics and I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings wherever you are! Miss you all!

Hakan's Shopping Visit

2008-11-29T17:04:00.000-08:00

My good friend, Hakan, from grad school in TX, came for a weekend visit. We spent lots of time in the Mall of America but watched some movies and walked around one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. It was a wonderful weekend and I'll miss him!

Ready, Set, SHOP!!!

First Purchase

Round 1

Beverage Break

Inside Coasters

SNOW!!!! Well sort of...

2008-11-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

OK, so as most of you know I've been dreaming not only of a white Christmas, but of white EVERYDAY. Sadly, I've been sorely disapointed up to this point but there was a hint of snow- here are the first pics (hopefully there are many more to come).

Alessia, the Italian Chef...

2008-11-29T16:52:00.001-08:00

Alessia baked pasta for us on one of the cold November nights! I brought apple pie for dessert. We have to introduce the internationals to as many American foods as possible and what's more American than apple pie? Yummy!

Halloween Burgers

2008-11-29T16:36:00.000-08:00

Instead of stuffing ourselves with candy on Halloween, we stuffed ourselves with great burgers from Ike's in downtown Minneapolis!

Pumpkins!

2008-10-27T18:34:00.001-07:00

The girls had a pumpkin carving/scary move watching/ pizza eating party on Saturday night. It was a fantastic- and cheap- Saturday! Here are some pics... lots of pics...

Cheers- pumpkins look better with drinks!

The preparation:

Roasting the seeds is one of the best parts!

Loreto's Pumpkin:

Isabel's pumpkin:

Alessia's pumpkin:

My pumpkin:

Nancy's pumpkin:

Group pic:

Scary!!!

I hope you all enjoy Halloween your own way! As most people know, I hate to dress up but pumpkins are a totally different story! Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-10-23T17:39:00.001-07:00

I wanted to thank you all for all of the b-day thoughts, calls, cards and gifts- it had been a hard week and it was so wonderful to feel loved. Here are some pics of birthday cake at the lab, all of the cards and flowers that came to me at work- everyone was jealous! Plus, Alessia took me out for dinner at Outback and to see "The Duchess" Friday night.

Bowling and Breakfast

2008-10-18T21:19:00.000-07:00

As several of you already know, the Lange Lab has a bowling team for the annual Fisher Sci. sponsored bowling tournament on October 30. Now "some people" in the lab consider this a very competitive event and felt that we needed practice/try-outs so we went bowling Monday night. Here are some pics!

Group Pic:

Christy's Ridiculously Large Soda: Cheerleading Nancy and Todd
Nancy in Action
Nate in Action- no face shots of Nate- even in the goup pic- take a look :)
This past weekend Nancy and I took Alessia out for an "American Breakfast". Alessia is a visiting PhD student from Italy and she arrived in Mpls just about a month after I did and we have become good friends. She gets a huge kick out of things we think are "normal" and it makes us all stop and think about how good things are. Here is a pick of our breakfast (IHOP of course). On the way home we saw a pumpkin stand- now, Alessia LOVES decorations and is especially excited for Halloween as they don't celebrate it in Italy. Given this, we stopped at the stand so she could see all the kinds of pumpkins, Indian corn and scarecrows. Have I mentioned that I LOVE the fall?

The Bog Blog

2008-10-02T17:17:00.000-07:00

A friend, Alessia, and I went to visit the bog in the middle of Minneapolis! It is called the Quaking Bog and it was fantastic! We got a bit lost in the park and wondered around for a bit but it was totally worth it.
Here's Alessia and me:

And here are some pics of lots of the fungi and cat tails in the bog:

I also got some great pics of the leaves changing colors:

Fun Packed Weekend

2008-09-09T06:34:00.000-07:00

I had quite the full weekend... On Saturday I went to Minnehaha Falls Park to see the waterfall and "hike" down to the Mississippi. It was a really nice park in the middle of the city. There were times you would swear you were in a big state park (aside from the sound of traffic and the band playing at the shelters on top of the cliff).

There was also a farm stand on the way so I stopped to get some apples, cucumbers, zucchini and melons- I'm really loving the farm stands and farmers markets- I will miss them in the winter. Then Sat evening some friends and I met for dinner in downtown Minneapolis. It was great to have a night out in civilization!

PS. The weather is staying cold and hopefully the leaves will change soon!!!!

Autumn

2008-09-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

No pics just yet but SOON there will be pics of leaves changing color!!!! I'm so excited I can barely contain myself! FALL IS HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! The heat broke earlier this week and it is fall for sure. The sky is deep blue, the air smells crisp and fresh and the summer flowers have gone to seed. This is my first autumn in 7 (count them 7) years and I'm going to enjoy it. I've worn a coat two mornings in a row, my morning coffee doesn't make me hot and sweaty, there are winter squash at the farmers market and I have turned the AC off and opened the windows!
Hurray for 4 seasons!

Not without some Craftiness...

2008-08-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd put some pics of my recent domestic crafts...

Here is a necklace I put together from some beads I had from other projects...
And here is an apple strudel made with the first apples of the season from the farmers market!

Minnesota State Fair

2008-08-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

Like a good Minnesotan, I made the pilgrimage to the annual Minnesota State Fair on Saturday. The fair grounds are in St. Paul and I took one of the buses that run nonstop during the two week affair. Now, I had been to the Texas State Fair one time but nothing prepared me for what I encountered today. Think a huge amusement park with rides and food stands every 5 feet (serving EVERYTHING on a stick- hot dogs on a stick, pickles on a stick, cheese on a stick, fried mashed potatoes on a stick, fried candy bars on a stick, meatballs on a stick, scotch eggs on a stick....) then throw in hundreds of domestic animals in every variety you can think of plus exhibits for every political candidate up for election in November as well as things like the Minnesota Alpaca Farmers Guild and the Minnesota Wild Rice Growers Association and you get a basic idea of what it was like.

I don't think I've ever seen more people- the day was gorgeous- not a cloud in the sky and a beautiful 78 degrees, which I'm sure contributed to the weekend crowd- here is a pic down just ONE of the streets of the fair grounds:

As I said before, there are all sorts of domestic animals including bunnies (isn't this the biggest lop eared bunny you've ever seen?):

And fancy pigeons- this one has curly feathers!:
There were tons of horses- big ones, small ones, Clydesdales, miniature... Also lots of cows- milk cows mostly, and sheep- black faced, white faced, HUGE ones, baby ones, horned ones.... Lots of chickens and ducks and turkeys....

I think the coolest thing was the birthing center though. They put all of the super pregnant animals in here and you can watch them give birth. I watched this HUGELY pregnant cow give birth and this little lamb was born earlier in the morning... There were also a litter of 12 piglets born today as well as hundreds of baby chicks of various breeds.
Now a bit about the food, I was told that I HAD to try fried cheese curds. Apparently these are a Minnesotan specialty not to be missed at the fair- they were actually quite good and were remarkably like little cheese sticks:
In addition, the original (and according to some, the only true) corn dog is a must have at the fair and so I had one:With mustard:It was, in all, an enlightening experience- this is only the first Saturday of the fair so we'll see if I make it again this year but I'll definitely be going back next year!

For Gram

2008-08-23T17:26:00.001-07:00

I know you like my hair curly so here you go Gram!

Hair Cut

2008-08-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

I've recently gotten my hair cut- it is super short but looks really cute. Here is a pic!

I'm going to the Minnesota State Fair this weekend- wish me luck!

Baby Gifts and Work Conferences

2008-08-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

I spent last week in Carefree Arizona at the Carefree Resort for a work conference. It was a great conference and I made lots of connections and learned quite a bit. By the end of the meeting the younger attendees got a bit stir crazy and ventured out to "town" for dinner. We ate at a great Mexican restaurant and had some margaritas (prickly pear!!!). Here is a pic of our "escape" from the compound!

I also finished several baby projects while I was there. Here are pics of a few of them!

Brandy's Wedding

2008-07-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Brandy, got married to Andrew this past weekend and I flew to Harrisburg/York PA for their wedding. I had a fantastic time (I think that we all had a fantastic time...) here are some pics!

Cake Smashing Time:

Brandy's New Veil:
Els and Andy:
Kelly and John
Marilyn and Gene
Mom and Dad:

Grams and Grandad:

Gwen's Many Choices:

For Chris:

Descending into the Depths of the Knitting Obsessed

2008-07-06T16:17:00.000-07:00

It is official- I have gone off the deep end with the knitting.... There is a knitting group of young women who meet at a coffee shop just a block from my house on Wednesday evenings called the Knittinkittens. I went this past week and everyone is quite nice. I have also found a yarn store that is dangerous beyond belief for my checking account- Needlework Unlimited. In addition I have signed up for Ravelry- it's like Facebook for knitters. I'm currently on my third baby gift and watch out for those Christmas presents! There are great yarns and patterns for socks, hats and scarves (I'm not up for whole sweaters yet)!

Weekend Domestic Diva

2008-06-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend in a flurry of domestic fury. After a nice happy hour with my labmates on Friday evening at The Newsroom downtown I went into full crafty mode.

I picked strawberries on Saturday morning at the Bauer Berry Farm- I got 12 lbs.!

They were delicious- and particularly good this year due to a cool wet spring! I crushed lots of them sugar with lemon juice and froze them and the others I am eating- well, I'm eating the ones I didn't turn into strawberry daiquiris with a recipe from Big R. I'm planning on cooking the heck out of one of the frozen batches tomorrow so I can put them in a cake for Wednesday (one of my labmates is defending on Tuesday and we are having a lab celebration on Wednesday).

I also found some of my old beads and made myself a black and white necklace and earrings- it is cheaper than buying them that's for sure! The beading isn't as hard as I thought it might be and I love the jewelry.

I ALSO finished the first of the baby projects- no pics of it yet as I'm not giving away sneak peeks until they are given...

Hope you are all well- I love reading comments or emails!

There's Something in the Water- still....

2008-06-27T07:00:00.001-07:00

The count is up to 5 close friends/family plus 2 more not as close friends/acquaintances. I just thought I'd share!

There's Something in the Water

2008-06-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I now have 4- count 'em- 4 pregnant friends who are all due late fall/early winter. If you are one of those pregnant friends I am extremely happy for you and can't wait to meet the new addition to your family! If, on the other hand, you are of child bearing years and not pregnant I'm issuing a warning- be careful of the water you drink. I believe that it may be contaminated with some magical pregnancy-inducing compound. That is the only way I can figure out how so many of my close friends are expecting all at the same time! I have begun a massive knitting campaign. It is going well and keeps me out of trouble during most of my bus rides and evenings... I can't wait for pics of the babies!

The Golden Gopher

2008-06-18T17:21:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of "New Employee Orentation" today- it really wasn't that bad- except that I had to get up at an ungodly hour of the morning. On a positive note, to show for my efforts, I got to get my picture taken with Goldie- the UM mascot.

This is what Wickipedia has to say about Goldie:

The Gopher mascot is a tradition as old as the state. Minnesota was tabbed the “Gopher State” in 1857 after a satirizing cartoon, depicting nine Gophers with the heads of local politicians pulling a locomotive, was published. The story was over legislative action for a $5 million railroad proposal in western Minnesota. Later, the University picked up the nickname.
The “Golden” adjective has not always been a part of the Gopher nickname. During the 1930s, the Gophers wore gold jerseys and pants. Legendary KSTP-AM radio announcer Halsey Hall coined the term “Golden Gophers” in reference to the team’s all-gold attire on the field.

I also discovered today that all of that living on the beach has destroyed the brakes on my car. I knew it was going to happen but there it is- a warning to you in Port Aransas- your brake pads will wear faster there because of the salt in the air...

'Tis the time for hayfever

2008-06-16T10:58:00.001-07:00

I've got no pics you you all this week- sorry. I've been pretty sick with allergies- the Claritin and Allegra no longer work for me so I'm onto Zyrtec-D. It seems to be doing the job though I'm still all phlegmy. The weekend was mostly business- errands and such- and while the weather has been gorgeous (75 and sunny), I've been too sick to really enjoy it. I have been enjoying my walk home from the bus stop, though, in the evenings.
I've got a "new employee event" Wednesday morning and I think that we have photo opportunities with the Golden Gopher (the UM mascot- vicious I know!). I'll try to get a pic to put up... Hope you are all well!

Settling In

2008-06-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

I'm really starting to settle in- I have MN plates for my car (it is really strange to see- I feel a bit like a Winter Texan every time I see my car!).

I also got my diploma! I didn't expect it so soon but there it was on my doorstep on Thursday evening!

I've survived my first week of work. Monday and Tuesday were hard with all of the paperwork and online training- staring at a computer screen all day is exhausting.

I finally got a handle on my project and had a good meeting with my boss, Carol, on Friday to plan some simple experiments for the coming week to get me into the swing of things.

I even have some semblance of a morning routine! I almost had it all together on Friday morning- the only thing I forgot was a fork for my lunch- my goal is to get the coffee, breakfast and complete lunch accomplished at some point this week...

I even had some time for a craft this weekend!! I wanted a summer wreath (the shell one I made in TX grew mold) and I couldn't find one that I liked so I gave myself $20 at Michael's and made my own- I'm not allowed to hang anything outside my door so it is on the inside.... At least I get to enjoy it every morning.

I hope you are all well- I'm sending out change of address post cards this week- I hope to hear from you all!

PS. Smokey says Hi!

Hail

2008-06-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived my first real hail storm on Saturday with no casualties. There was about 10 minutes of heavy, pea-moth ball size hail. The ground was completely white and poor Smokey freaked out and hid under the bed because of the noise. I've also gotten completely lost for the first time! I ended up in St. Paul on my way to church this morning!!! Wish me luck at my first day of work tomorrow...

I'm liking Minneapolis!

2008-05-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm pretty settled! I've found most of life's necessities with the exception of a dry cleaner. I've found a grocery store that I love just 6-8 blocks away. I have a manicure and pedicure place that I like! I've even got an Asian market just a 5 minute walk over! I love the area- there are tree lined sidewalks, shops, restaurants and schools all around though my street is pretty quiet. I tried Westminster Presbyterian Church this past Sunday- I liked it but I'd like to go a few more times before I make any decisions.

I love my apt (and Smokey does too)! Here are some pics of the finished product though they don't really do it justice!

I'm in the process of my first big cooking project in the new kitchen- lasagna bolognese! I've got the meat and the bechamel sauces made (yesterday) and I'll be assembling today! Yummy dinner! Things are going pretty well in the kitchen. I'm loving the gas range and I'll be trying out the oven today. I may bake some cookies over the weekend to test the evenness of the oven out. I'm still figuring out working space but it is getting there- it will be very do-able.

I start work on Monday- wish me luck with public transport and paperwork!

Moving Sucks for Smokey Too

2008-05-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

Poor Smokey. He survived the move from Texas and, while it could have been worse, I don't think that he was extremely happy. Luckily, the hotel rooms I stayed in had the rails along the bed so that he wasn't able to get under the bed. I decided not to drug him after the fiasco when the moving men were packing my things in Texas and I think that it was a good idea.

He was completely wigged out by the movers and the maintenance guys but he seems to be doing better. He has found some new hiding places- in the closet and behind the chair in the bedroom though he has ventured out into the living room and has ventured out to the living room. I think that things will be good now that things in the apt are pretty much settled...

Moving Sucks Part 3

2008-05-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well I finally made it and have set up the internet/computer! It has been an exhausting few days with a few good things along the way to keep me going.

I arrived safely in Mlps on Monday morning and made a major trip to Target- I didn't even get lost!

My belongings arrived early Tuesday morning along with men to set up the cable, my couch was delivered and the maintenance guy was here to fix my shower all at the same time. The good part was that the printed copies of my dissertation were also delivered- it looks great! I think that I've found somewhere to mail them so I'll work on that early next week.

Things have been chaos but they are slowly getting better. Here are some pics of my progress as of Wednesday morning...

I have been to Ikea, Target (twice) Kmart, the grocery store (they have rainbow chip frosting- I'm in heaven), the car wash, and liquor store- I think that I'm doing great! Nothing is more than 10 minutes away. I love the location of the apt- it is a super cute neighborhood with lots of trees, flowers, sidewalks... I really think that I'll be happy here. There are great tulips out now- here are some out my front door!

My advisor, Carol Lange, had a party last night (Thursday) in honor of SPRING- it was fantastic to see people- some of her neighbors came and they were super friendly.

I'm getting close to settled- I'm getting quite proficient at putting furniture together from boxes. I'll take pics when I'm done- the apartment is going to be super cute- I'm really pleased!

Moving Sucks Part 2

2008-05-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to be staying at the Days Inn in Pauls Valley Oklahoma where they have free wireless so here is a post for all of you keeping close tabs on the move...

My friends threw me a congratulations/good luck party on Thursday- it was great to see everyone and we all went to the Gaff afterwards. You can buy a ceiling tile to write messages on and they got one for the occasion- Kiersten has pics and as soon as I get my hands on them I'll show ya'll.

Friday morning the movers arrived- there were two of them and here are pics of them in action.
They took an inventory of all of my stuff and put green stickers on everything and had it all loaded by 1ish. The apt was so empty! At the last minute I packed a few extra boxes and I'm glad I did cause the rest of my stuff plus Smokey barely fit in the car. Susan brought lunch from Subway and came over to eat while the movers were finishing up. After they left I calmed a totally freaked out, drugged Smokey then went to the lab to start packing my computer into the car. The ladies downstairs were really sweet and got me a cake so we had that and one for Anne's B-day at three.
It was an extremely emotional day- all of the planning and packing and preparing was coming to an end and it was just a lot to deal with. I'm almost as proud of myself for moving myself completely across the country on my own as I am for getting my degree!
I spent an hour or so with Sam in the evening but was home by 8:30. I had trouble sleeping but Smokey seemed much better by then so that made me a little more comfortable. This morning I was up super early and figured I'd get going- it beat laying awake on a concrete floor! I finished packing the car and loaded up an undrugged Smokey and off we went. I made great time and there were no problems in any of the big cities I've passed through which include San Antonio, Austin, Waco and Dallas/Fort Worth. I did about 8.5 hours today and am hoping to get a good night sleep to do 10 tomorrow. Smokey is doing well plus he can't get under the bed so I won't be stressed about trying to get him in the crate tomorrow! Here is a pic of him at the hotel- how cute!

I've a reservation in Clear Lake Iowa (just outside of Mason City) for tomorrow night- wish me luck!

Moving Sucks Part 1

2008-05-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I am in the process of moving from Port Aransas, on the south coast of Texas, to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Now, I have lived in Texas for 6 years and have accumulated quite a bit of "stuff" and now I'm having to move all of it. Thankfully, I have hired movers who will come and load my stuff onto a truck, drive it to Minneapolis and unload it into my new apartment. I still have to pack everything. It sucks...really sucks. It sucks to find boxes, it sucks to decide what you can live without for a period of time (it really sucks when you've packed something at the bottom of the pile only to realize three days later that you really need it!), it sucks to live in a disaster of an apartment with boxes everywhere and it especially sucks to feel like you live in limbo! Here are some pics of the chaos that is my life currently...

In addition, there is a two week window in which they can deliver my worldly possessions so I may be without home comforts for some time. I have had to choose what to take in the car judiciously. Electronics, important documents, clothes, toiletries, a sleeping mat and sleeping bag- and a CAT and all that he entails! I'm just hoping that it all fits. This is the start of the "car" pile...

I will take some pics of "Moving Day" to post early next week- pray for me- for sanity and saftey!

Girls Weekend in Houston

2008-05-12T08:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend I drove up to Houston for one last "Girl's Weekend" with my BFF Sam before I move to the Great Cold North. I drove up there Saturday morning and Sam and I went to the Hobbit Cafe for lunch followed by shopping in Rice Village and a beer at The Gingerman. We were going to watch a play in the park but it was too hot and humid so we decided to stay home and drink wine and watch the Indiana Jones marathon- who can beat the handsome, dashing Harrison Ford?

While Sam was running on Sunday morning she found a fledgling screech owl in the middle of a busy road and rescued it. We found the Houston Wildlife Rescue center and saved the baby! I didn't take pics of the owl so as not to scare it but it looked like this:

After our Good Samaritan deed we were mighty hungry and brunched at a "real Mexican" place- the chili sauce on my eggs was to die for!

While we were waiting for a friend of Sam's to get home so she could borrow his runner's GPS we wandered into the Wabash Feed and Antiques store- they had chickens, turkeys and bunnies! They also had a great selection of plants, plant and pet foods and really cool antiques. Sam got a jar of pickled green beans for Scott- has anyone else heard of such a thing?

We got manicures and pedicures before I headed back to Port "A". I just hope that I find girlfriends in Minneapolis half as great as the ones I have in Texas!

Smokey

2008-05-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, I have inherited a cat from the Nunez-Pace household. His name is Smokey and, poor thing, has only three legs. He comes from New Orleans where, as a kitten, he belonged to a homeless man. He got caught in a car engine and was dropped off at the vet to be put down. The vet thought that he was too sweet to put to sleep so they removed his front let at the shoulder and he survived! He was given to Scott and Sam, animal lovers that they are, and has done well. As Scott and Sam are moving and I wanted a cat, it was the perfect opportunity for Smokey. He now has my full attention and doesn't have to fight for food. We have spent the last few weeks getting comfortable with each other and it seems to be going well.

He loves to be on the bed- I think that it is a safe spot for him and he runs like the devil if you walk past him on the floor which is quite funny with just his three legs.

He seems to be a "rear oriented" cat. He LOVES to have his butt scratched and waggs his tail like a dog.

I painted a ceramic bowl for him at the paint your own pottery place in Port "A" (again in my copoius amounts of free time now that I've finished my dissertation).

Wish us luck (and good drugs) on our trip from Texas to Minneapolis!

My First Blog

2008-05-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

I thought that I'd try blogging in my copious amounts of spare time now that I've finished my dissertation. I'm just about to move across the country and this will keep you- my peeps- up to date on my activities!

This is the only fish I caught while I was in Texas- and I call myself a Marine Biologist!