Sunday, October 07, 2007

A Nice Few Days

As a reward for being a good girl and not burning the bank to the ground, I was given permission to take the few days off that I had planned since February. This is my favorite time of year, and I always take a few vacation days right around Columbus day. I really needed the time off, and I can't tell you how wonderful it was. I spent most of my time channeling my inner June Cleaver, cooking, knitting, organizing, sewing, and generally pulling my self back together.

We didn't really go anywhere special, since M only took Friday off to hang out with me, but we did go to the annual Dover Apple Harvest Festival. I kept asking him all morning if he was sure he wanted to go, but he assured me that it was fine. He was encouraged by the prospect of visiting Bald Face Books on our walk home. He was pretty good until we crossed over Central Ave and he got a look at just how many people where there. Crowds, screaming children and crafts. Not exactly his cup of tea. I lured him further in with promises of food down on the other end in Henry Law Park. Much bad for you fair food was consumed which was really the reason I wanted to go in the first place. Fried dough is a powerful motivator.

I had the chance to actually cook this week, and made all sorts of comfort food, including beef stew, chili, meatloaf (which I haven't made in probably eight years, but turned out amazingly well - I credit the use of garlic bread from the night before instead of dried breadcrumbs for keeping it relatively moist) and chicken parmigiana.

After ignoring it for six years or so, I dragged out the sewing machine, having decided that the kitchen needed curtains. The kitchen windows have mini-blinds, but I hate that closed off feeling they give. I didn't want to give up the privacy they offered, so I ended up leaving them and making cafe curtains for the bottom half. This picture is crap because of the lighting, but you get the idea.



Another reason I needed to keep the curtains short is the shelves.



Someone decided that two of the three windows needed these funny little shelves. Now that I am used to them and am no longer smacking my head on the many times a day, I love these shelves.

The curtains took far longer than I thought they would, partly because I've lost the sewing machine manual and after so many years it took a while to get back to my comfort level with the machine. Threading the bobbin was an adventure all by itself. I was also distracted by a knock at the door from the FedEx guy, who had a package for us. I hadn't ordered anything, so what could it be?

Books!



More wonderful books from a blogless friend! (Thank you generous blogless friend!) I was just looking at both of those books online the other day! One book is KnitKnit which includes some pretty basic knit items taken to amazing lengths, as well as some things that I'm not sure how they happened. Who starts their day thinking "hmmmm...I think I'll knit a fourteen foot tall fiberglass teddy bear." Well, someone did, and it's amazing to see how people have stretched the boundaries of knitting. The other is Knitting New Scarves, which has many, many interesting and complex scarf patterns. You think knitting scarves is boring? All in one direction? Think again and check out this book. I just happened to pass my LYS on our way home from the apple festival, and picked up some Rowan Revue yarn and I'm going to figure out what to knit with it this afternoon.

Tuesday I will have to go back to work, and new position or no...I'm not really looking forward to it. I will at least go back rested and refreshed.

5 comments:

Beth said...

Your curtains look very nice and your room looks quite homey.

I didn't make it to Apple Harvest Day but my Oldest and Youngest boys did. Oldest Boy worked a booth raising money for bed nets in Africa. Youngest Boy just spent a lot of money.

Sounds like you had a great day!

Kate said...

are those bunny rabbits salt and pepper shakers? i'm often tempted by the delightful kitschiness of salt and pepper shakers - but i know once i got started...

Heather said...

Yep, bunny salt and pepper shakers! And right next to them are two little monks that are also salt and pepper shakers. I probably only have four sets of the shakers, which is a miracle, since they all seems so cute at the time. I'm such a pack rat that I really have to keep a hold of myself.

Thanks, Beth, it probably looks more homey because it's not very clean! :) Do you live near Dover? The Harvest Day was pretty good, but it sure was hot! Last year I remember wearing a wool sweater. I talked to a girl from Barrington who was selling her handspun wool, and said she was having a tough day of it - too hot to play with wool.

Kate said...

love rabbits myself, not sure where the fascination comes from. reading watership down as a child? the fact that the best friend had a pet rabbit named raspberry? at any rate, i'm jealous of the salt and pepper shakers!

Anonymous said...

Well written article.