Merry Christmas Pink Slip

Can you say, "Terminated"? "Unemployed"? Husband not working. Then you can enter Aunt Melissa's Kitchen! =)

Yes, things have been better at Aunt Melissa's house, but she is SO excited not to have to go back to work with the horrible people who ask inappropriate questions, try everything in their power not to actually work, talk loudly while others are on the phone conducting global conference calls and stonewall when legitimate work information is needed. Oh, yes, I'm so happy to never see them again, I hope, I hope. 30 years of experience in the workplace never prepared me for the last 3 months. I've never been so relieved, albeit broke, in my life. Well, maybe I've been more broke, but never more relieved.

Great opportunities are on the horizon, I'm just hoping my $2.05 lasts until the perfect opportunity comes along. I'm trying to focus on the excellent and incredible companies within walking distance (could mean a new puppy will be added to the family soon YIPPEE) but I'm not ruling anything out (HELLO, Mortgage and no second income) , I'm networking, networking, networking, sending applications, sending applications, finally filed for unemployment and tonight, I might just give myself a wee break and knit for a couple of hours while watching a DVD. Yes, Santa isn't coming to our house this year, but I'm truly looking forward to sewing and knitting and then hitting the job search again very soundly on December 27, 2007.

Well, there is much housework to be done and then, as mentioned, knitting and movies.... so must run.

Love you all and please stay in touch!

AuntMelissa

Sparks and Trucks

We're all afraid of distracted drivers on cell phones, aren't we? Well, today I witnessed a sight from my elevated position aboard the commuter bus that I REALLY wish I hadn't seen! I glance out the window and observe a truck driver at the wheel of a HUGE cement truck, with head bent, feverishly pushing buttons on his cell phone. Now while I'm driving my small car down the 101, I do NOT want to think of multi-ton vehicles riding my bumper and texting/chatting/talking to ANYONE on a cell phone! whew!!

Okay, now I can get to the Sparks game... First quarter, it was as if they came onto the court with no warm up... it looked as thought maybe that had never played together before.... it just wasn't gelling... Then, seemingly all at once, at the end of Qtr 1, they warmed up and started playing. They pulled ahead and played a close, close game until the end of the 4th qtr. 2 1/2 minutes to go the Sparks were leading by 4. Mercury scored, Sparks had over a minute on the clock and only a two point lead and started slowing it down (in my opinion WAY too soon). They weren't leaving themselves enough time to recover for a turnover and that's exactly what happened... Sparks lost the ball, Mercury scored, sparks fouled, Mercury makes the free throw, now 2 points behind Sparks recover the ball with only 11 seconds on the clock. They can't get the play, miss the shot and go home sad. Mercury was consistent through the whole game. I can't help but think Sparks would have won soundly if they had shown up ready to play the first quarter.

Nevertheless, it was an exciting game, much enjoyed by all. It's hard to believe this is the 10 year anniversary of the WNBA. As my friend so aptly said last night, "Given what we all lived through with Title 9, we should probably buy season tickets whether we can make it to the game or not, just to support women in sports." I agree. I remember growing up in a time when there were precious few opportunities for girls to play sports. Now, we are busy with work, with husbands, with children, with you-name-it... but I agree with my friend. We should remember the long hard road women in sports have faced and show up and support. I'm not the biggest sports fan. I like to play sports more than watch sports, but you know what I've discovered? You can watch sports and knit, too! HA! No, seriously, please support our sisters and daughters and friends and support women's athletics.

Thanks and have a great day!

Spin, spin, whirl, whirl

Traditionally, I think Summers are considered laid-back time with little or no activity. Then why am I so busy?!?!?!

All good things.

Tonight my friend Kathy and I will be at the Sparks game because, did I ever tell you about last year when the two of us joined a basketball league at the YMCA? It was HILARIOUS. I hadn't played basketball since 7th grade... and my friend Kathy, although an excellent athlete, had never played basketball in her life. Her husband, brother, everyone she knew explained the rules to her and WOW, did we ever have fun playing on that league! Well, this year they separated the league between the women over and under 40 or something like that and well.... I didn't want to play on the "senior" league. There were younger women in worse shape than we were! We held our own...... ohwellanyway... we talked many times about attending a Sparks game with the husbands and it never panned out. TONIGHT, however, we have FREE tickets (thank you company executive who cannot attend and remains nameless) with FREE parking and well, it's girls night out at Staple Center everyone.

Go sparks. Girls can play ball! =)

Okay, I will say I make hardly any money at all, but free tickets are a nice perk. Week before last was American Idol concert with box seats and food included! Woo Hoo... Nothing like free PopTarts.... (you had to have been there.... but Pop Tarts are always good... )

Have a great day and soon I'll post photos of my very first cable knit! Yes, after months of setting the denim knit shell project aside ( photo here:Aunt Melissa's Kitchen: It's Saturday Again), I got brave and used cable needles... It worked. I have a witness even!

If you would like to see some GORGEOUS projects, check out my friend Kelly's new blog:

http://maniacallacemaker.blogspot.com/


Have a great night and I hope to talk to you soon.

Katy's Texas Wedding

Greetings everyone. It's my first day back at the office after vacationing in Texas. My niece Katy was married last Saturday in a BEAUTIFUL and very fun ceremony. It was great eating steaks at Ranchman's Cafe in Ponder, Texas, witnessing the "I-do's" in a highly entertaining ceremony, visiting with cousins and friends I haven't seen in 10 years or more.

I've been painfully remiss in posting fun photos and information the last two months and really hope to catch up soon.

The Women's Retreat Weekend was a resounding success July 21/22 at Mt. Baldy and I want to send out a HUGE thank-you to everyone who helped with the event! Thank you Sierra Club for having such a great lodge and wonderful overseer! Thank you women of Woodland Hills Church of Christ for being so WONDERFUL.

Steve and I have been back to the Getty Villa in Malibu (pictures to post later), and well, I just can't seem to keep up with my life... but I promise, promise, promise to post photos and current projects SOON!

Love you all,

Aunt Melissa

Stitch and Pitch at Dodger Stadium

We wish you could have been there last night at Stitch and Pitch at Dodger Stadium, it was SO MUCH FUN!!!!! Janice and I and my friend Carol had a BLAST! And I think even people who don’t care about baseball would have loved it! Our goodie bags were worth more than what we paid for the tickets! (which were only $12)

We received:

A Dodger Blue knitting bag

Knit Lite knitting needles (I had seen them, thought, oh, I’ll never knit in the dark, but once I tried them, I really like them)

1 skein of really pretty yarn

1 embroidery kit

2 miniature cross stitch kits

Tons of coupons for most yarn shops in the LA area, and this FABULOUS list of yarn shops sorted by city, with address, telephone and website info.

There were 3 sections FULL of ladies knitting, embroidering, crocheting, it was a hoot!

WE LOVED IT and HIGHLY recommend if Stitch and Pitch comes to your local ballpark, GO!!!

=)

Aunt Melissa

p.s. We think we’re good luck charms, too. Dodgers won after a 4 game losing streak, beating the #1 team in the league. ‘cuz of us, I’m sure. =)

Booties for Baby Reece

No news yet, but we are expecting Carol's grandbaby Reece to make her grand entrance any minute now.... We can hardly wait to see her precious face. And to be sure her feet aren't cold, I made this pair of booties. There are a couple of mistakes ( notice one is slightly larger than the other), but I'm working on the second pair which I hope will be perfect. I couldn't resist the photo album to match.

Hang in there Debbie!!! You're doing great!

Pattern:

http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/bethany_booties/bethany_booties.html

have a great day everyone!

This Honeybee thing is creepy...

Hi friends and family. Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Busy with work, with Toastmaster's, with singing at church, with knitting for super friend Carol's grand baby on the way... still loving you all, thinking of y'all, just not posting the photos and words in the blog. Here's what I've been thinking and talking about in April....

Honeybees, Knitting and Light Pollution... separate entries follow:

DISCLAIMER: A list of sources consulted prior to preparation of this speech appears at the end of the document. The speech-writer is not an expert in the field of entomology, agriculture or biology. Opinions expressed within the speech are solely the opinion of the speech-writer and should not be used as a basis of fact or decision for any reader thereof. Facts and figures presented within the speech were obtained from documents and publications listed in the sources section of this document..

NO BUZZZZZZZZZZZ?!?!?!?!
Speech Prepared by Melissa King Stansbery
For Toastmaster’s Club Presentation
Competent Communicator Track
Project #4 – “How to Say It”

April 11, 2007

Imagine a world without honey,

Spring gardens and backyards SILENT

Void of the pleasant, monotonous drone of tiny winged creatures, nervously dancing from bloom to bloom, dancing the merengue of life,

lulling nappers swinging in hammocks to soft summer slumber…

terrifying toddlers, trembling and screaming from stings born of innocent curiosity.…

Imagine a summer with no cherries, no apples, no pears, no almonds….a world where our food choices are severely limited.

Is this Fiction? Or a real-life episode of CSI playing out all across America?

What’s Happening?

Beekeepers in 24 States across America report an alarming mystery. Colonies of bees which seem healthy days earlier, are abandoning their hives. Millions of the insects are reported lost, vanished, nowhere to be found.

Unsure what is causing this alarming development; scientists are naming the phenomena Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD.

Honeybees have been threatened over the years by various parasites and maladies; however, the characteristics of Colony Collapse Disorder have never been observed before.

Honeybees are essential for the pollination of over 90 fruit and vegetable crops worldwide. The economic worth of the honeybee is valued at more that $14.6 billion in the U.S. alone.

The current Honey bee population is less than ½ of the size of 25 years ago

Reports over the last few months of losses from individual beekeepers are staggering.

1 lost 11,000 of his 13,000 colonies,

Another lost 700 of 900 colonies

Another lost 2500 of 3500 colonies

Another lost virtually all of his 10,000 colobies

What are the Symptoms?

Reports say that the colony looks healthy and a few days later, the hive looks empty. There are capped broods which under normal circumstances would be tended by worker bees. There are no mature adults in the hive. Many times the Queen remains. There are no dead bodies at the entrance of the hive.

And what is particularly peculiar is that in what is a considered“normal” hive demise there seem to be no opportunistic insects entering and stealing honey, using the combs. With other diseases and infestations, wax worms and other insects quickly enter the hive.

In all of the CCD situations insects are eerily staying away, which might indicate contamination of some sort.

The few remaining bees dying within the colony are found to overwhelmingly be suffering from a variety of common maladies, but most markedly suffering from severe Fungal overgrowth which indicates suppressed immune response.

Scientists have found undigested pollen crystals in the digestive tract, which is unusual, as well.

Possible Causes (?)

Pesticides(?) – particularly newly introduced Nicotine based insecticides.

Genetically Modified Crops(?)

Viral or bacterial infection or a pathogen not yet identified(?)

Possible Cost to Farmers/Beekeepers/consumers

Cost to farmers short term might be a 50% increase in the cost of pollination.

Cost for some beekeepers is the loss of an entire livelihood, or devastating change in lifestyle

Cost for consumers, short-term might be higher food prices and potentially loss of food sources.

What can You do to help?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, helpless and do nothing because of the difficulty of the situation. What can you and I do when bees are disappearing faster than the experts can learn the cause? It might seem hopeless, but there are a few suggestions:

1. Don’t use pesticides. Learn about natural and alternative methods of controlling pests with natural predators and deterrents in your lawn and garden.

2. Learn about and lobby against the use of Genetically Modified Crops before extensive, sustained, long-term testing of the effects on the entire food chain are determined.

3. Demand enforcement of restrictions to segregate Genetically Modified Crops and prevent cross pollination to native species.

4. Plant Native Plants and flowers which attract and sustain native bee populations.

Hopefully, we will all experience the joy of honey on hot buttered biscuits fresh from the oven, and ripe sweet cherries, crunchy almonds and crisp tart apple pies, followed by naps serenaded by our honeybee friends in our backyards and parks for countless Springs, Summers and generations to come.

Additional Notes and Sources:

“In addition to agricultural crops, honey bees also pollinate many native plants in the ecosystem. Populations of honey bees are in jeopardy due to the 1988 introduction of varroa mites, recognized previously as a major threat to bee colonies in the US.. Increased deaths in bee colonies with unique symptoms (termed Colony collapse Disorder) seriously threaten the ability of the bee industry to meet the diverse pollination needs of fruit and vegetable producers across the US. The same symptoms have been reported across 24 states.. In Pennsylvania, beekeepers have regularly inspected colonies for disease and have kept records since 1930.”

DISCLAIMER: The following sources were consulted prior to preparation of this speech. The speech-writer is not an expert in the field of entomology, agriculture or biology. Opinions expressed within the speech are solely the opinion of the speech-writer and should not be used as a basis of fact or decision for any reader thereof. Facts and figures presented within the speech were obtained from the sources below.

Sources Section:

“Prepared Testimony of Diana Cox-Foster, Professor Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Horticulture and organic Agriculture on Colony Collapse Disorder in Honey Bee Colonies in the United States, March 29, 2007”.

“Bee keepers hope to find answers for ailment killing the insects”, By Genaro C. Armas, Associated press Writer, March 17, 2007

American Beekeeping Federation News - http://abfnet.org/news/honey-bee-die-off-alarms-beekeepers-crop-gro..

“Summary of Research on the Non-Target Effects of BT Corn Pollen on Honeybees”, by Galen P. Dively, Professor and Pest management Specialist, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

“Fall Dwindle Disease: Investigation into the causes of sudden and alarming colony losses experienced by beekeepers in the fall of 2006. Preliminary Report: First Revision”, by Dennis vanEngelsdorp, Diana Cox Foster, Maryann Frazier, Nancy Ostiguy, Jerry hayes, December 15, 2006, Revised January 5^th, 2006.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyID=191246

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colony_Collapse_Disorder

http://www.bumblebee.org/helpbees.htm

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/bees_honey_gm_crops.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4621184.stm

http://www.mercola.com/2007/mar/22/ar-gm-crops-killing-honeybees.htm

http://www.baynature.com/2003janmarch/bees_2003janmarch.html

http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3446

http://www.ento.vt.edu/Fruitfiles/bees.html

http://nature.berkeley.edu/urbanbeegardens/list.html

http://english.pravda.ru/print/world/americas/88467-honey_bees-()

Also of interest:

http://www.aginfo.psu.edu/newsletter/2007/AgSciNewsMar07.pdf

Light Pollution

So here's the other thing I've been thinking about for a few years and finally shared with my Toastmaster's Club. Following are my notes. which are obviously incomplete, because I can ad lib and talk on and on and on about portions of this subject..... but hopefully there is enough detail to create some interest and then maybe you will follow the links and see what you can do to save money, the environment and our night sky all at the same time! =)

LIGHT POLLUTION
By Melissa King Stansbery
Toastmaster's International Project #5
Speak with Your Body

Presented April 18, 2007

NO DOUBT - Everyone in this room is familiar with AIR POLLUTION..... we live in L.A.!!!

And I'm certain, that everyone in this room if familiar with WATER POLLUTION.

if you are of my generation and grew up with a TV as entertainment, you remember the striking television commercial featuring a tall, proud Native American looking at trash washing up on the shore of a river. The camera zooms in to close-up and you see ONE SAD TEAR falling across his stern countenance. It was deeply moving.

But what is Light Pollution? And how did I become aware of it?

How can light be pollution? What's the real harm? It's only light, right?

Money Wasted - (Show photo of United States) - Millions of dollars are spent to light the sky instead of lighting the ground.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Earth_night.jpg

Unable to see the stars.

Soon after moving to LA, the first time I was outdoors on a cloudy night, I was amazed! at the way clouds look at night. You can see every curve, shadow and bump... and I thought, that's eerie.... I've never seen that type of detail at night...

- First civilization in thousands or possibly millions of years to not be familiar with the night sky. I moved to LA shortly after the Northridge Earthquake, and I've read accounts that 911 calls were coming in from all over the area with people describing a strange milky trail high in the sky and they were wondering if could be connected to the earthquake. These wonderful people were observing the Milky Way for the first time.

Navigation – I’ve been told stories by friends who have traveled in the desert and come upon places in the sand that were huge intersections, with camel tracks intersecting from all directions.

Warning of Meteors

Effect on Wildlife

A few years ago I read a story in a magazine about a flock of migrating birds, looking for a place to spend the night, mistook a well lit asphalt SuperStore parking lot for a lake and the consequences were not pretty. Hundreds of birds landed at a rate appropriate for water but not for asphalt. Needless to say, when workers reported to work the next morning there was a really sad mess to clean up before customers arrived.

Effect on Plants

Tree - Show Photo

What I was most surprised about in my research was light pollution's

Effect on people.

Who hasn't noticed how much longer and better we sleep in a dark room? Have you ever overslept for a business meeting while traveling and sleeping in a hotel with those wonderful blackout curtains?

Are there security lights or street lights that shine into your home at night that make it difficult to sleep?

Scientist and medical researchers believe that sleep loss contributes to depression, diabetes, weight gain to name a few, and the most surprising link I found was research done by Dr. ____Richard Stevens, an epidemiologist. In 1985 puzzling over the increased rate of breast cancer in developed countries and the amazing increases over the past 50 years…___________ which, believe it or not links nighttime light exposure to the increase in Breast Cancer rates. What Dr. _Stevens_________ found in his research is that melatonin, very strong hormones, is only produced when we sleep and exposure to lights at night severely limits our production of melatonin. Even exposure to ambient light from a television or a night light, inhibits the production of melatonin. Our bodies seem to produce the most melatonin around the hours of 2 and 3 am.

He studied nurses and noticed those nurses working the night shift experienced breast cancer at rates 36% than those who worked days.

As part of his research, he took blood samples from his study group. Some were taken from people who were awakened and samples taken in a dark room, some were awakened and exposed to bright lights for an hour and a half and samples were taken. and some samples were taken from people working shift work. Melatonin was much more scarce in those subjects exposed to light at night. He injected those blood samples into lab mice that had been implanted with cancerous breast tumors, and found that those mice receiving blood with higher melatonin levels tumors either made no change or grew very slowly, but those mice receiving low melatonin levels tumors grew at an increased rate.

Scientist and Medical researchers more and more learn the importance of sleep.

SECURITY ARGUMENT:

Many argue the bright lights outdoors are necessary for security purposes. In reality this might not be true. The glare of overbright outdoor lighting can actually inhibit security, offering criminals dark places to hide in the shadows. The glare of misdirected security lights can blind drivers and innocent people alike, making it more difficult to see in shadows. The human eye is just amazing to me. have you ever noticed how when we first flip off the lights at night that we can't see a thing? But if we happen to awaken in a dark room, we can see every surprisingly well with no artificial light? That is called dark adaptation. The human eye becomes completely dark adapted after only 30 minutes in a dark place.

Because so many security lights are installed poorly, meaning pointed outward or at a 45 degree angle, they are mostly ineffective at lighting the area we most need to see. Simply installing shielded lights pointing downward, our vision is actually improved. Often lower wattage bulbs can be used, so there is a cost savings associated too. A very effective alternative is motion sensitive lighting....

a 150 watt floodlight operating from Dust to Dawn is operating for 4170 hours per year at a cost of $115. CO@ emitted per year is 8/10 of a ton, Sulfur dioxide emitted is 10 pounds, and Nitrogen oxide emitted is 6.5 lbs.

a motion sensor light on the other hand might only be on for one hour per night or 365 hours for the year. At a cost of only $10. CO2 emitted is <>

the cost and environmental savings of replacing just one 150 watt floodlight significant!

And Taxpayers are footing the bill for the majority of inefficient lighting. I'm told there are mercury vapor street lamps still in use that were installed in the 50s. The unique thing about MV bulbs is that they almost never die... they just get dimmer and dimmer, but they are using the same amount of energy to burn. Replacing Mercury Vapor floods should make a very positive environmental impact.

considering that Municipalities, States and the Federal Govt. are routinely running in deficit spending situations, I'm thinking more efficient lighting is a pretty good idea for all taxpayers.

So, wrapping up, it looks like there are many possible benefits to cutting back on light pollution:

• Environmental impact in energy savings.,

• Benefits to Plants, Wildlife,

• even significant health and security benefits....

To end,my speech, I would like to circle back to the subject of Astronomy, which is what initiated my awareness and research on the subject (Driving for hours and hours to shiver on top of a mountain for a glimpse at a large meteor shower tends to make one think... “gee, I wish I could do this in my backyard, where I can go in periodically to warm my fingers and toes.”)...

My husband and other astronomers speculate that if our skies were darker, it might be easier to monitor the skies and maybe see a meteor as large as the one that put an end to dinosaurs and possibly do something about it before it hit.

My view is, maybe we could do something, maybe we couldn't, but if our night skies were darker, at least we would have a front row seat to a REALLY big show!

For more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_pollution

http://www.darksky.org/

Knitting News!

This homespun baby blanket was a joint-effort, prepared with love by me and my fabulous friend, Carol. What is SO impressive, is that Carol had never knit a stitch prior to this project. We are both pleased and hope that baby Reese (when she decides to arrive) enjoys our homespun blanket of hugs as much as we enjoyed knitting it and thinking of her!

If you're interested in the pattern, here's the link:

http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60160-1.html?noImages=

I will say, that while the pattern is very simple, if it is your very first knitting project, you might want to choose a yarn that splits a little less. I love homespun, I love the look of the results, but at times it can be "trying" to work with. We made this blanket in two weeks time with very busy schedules, if that information helps you at all. We were egged on, of course, by frequent questions by Chase sounding something like, "Do you think you can really finish this before the baby is born?" =) Yep, we did! Blanket delivered 4/22/20007!

Forgot the "kitchen" part of Aunt Melissa's Kitchen

Apologies to all who come looking for recipes. I've been remiss. It was actually a busy kitchen week. It began with a long Sunday afternoon cooking session that laid the foundation for the week's menues...

Stuffed cabbage, Stuffed peppers, Beef filled puff pastries, stuffed mushrooms, sauteed greens.

Today when my Mom asked what I had cooked today, she laughed when I said some really great oatmeal. Now I tell ya! It really WAS great.

Old Fashioned oats cooked in milk, with chopped walnuts, dried apricots, dried cranberries, golden grapes and coconut. I brought to a gentle boil and cooked for 5 minutes. I spooned into bowls and topped with a heart-healthy no trans-fat margarine, a splash of half and half and 1/2 sliced ripe banana. It was SO sweet and yummy, with no added sugar and very, very filling and nutritious, too!

So there! Just a couple of words about Aunt Melissa's kitchen.... Have a happy Saturday night. Later, homemade spaghetti sauce over pasta and maybe a science-fiction movie. Does life get better? Nahh... don't think so!

It's Saturday Again

Yes, it's Saturday again... my favorite day of the week. My honey gave me "alone time" in the office.

Now those of you not married might not appreciate the concept of "alone time". Being alone for many, many, oh I can't count them, many (34) years gave me the mistaken idea that I never wanted to be alone again. I've changed my mind, and for good reason, now that I consider it:

1) Life in cubicle-city 5 days per week,
2) sharing buses and trains with hundreds of people who sometimes bathe, sometimes don't, most often smell like garlic and stale cigarettes.... well, when one comes home from a 12 hour day of that... just an hour or so of alone-ness might be nice.
3) But if your home office is like ours, then, one must stow the keyboard before the other can open a file drawer. hmmm... confining to say the least...alone time just doesn't happen without careful planning and begging and well, it just doesn't happen!

I've been in the office totally and completely alone for almost two hours and let's just say I got so much done in the first 15 minutes that I felt totally justified in catching up on my favorite blogs and then making a post.

ahhhhhh..... Santana playing on the stereo, husband running errands, laundry in rotation.... all is right with the world. I even did housework. ..gottaREALLY be happy to do that. =)

I know, I know, it all sounds so weird! But being married still feels strange after 6 years. I tell ya, spend 34 years alone and then acclimate to sharing space with someone. It really doesn't matter how much in love you are... sharing space means never, ever being alone....

All I think I need is a couple of hours a week, but ahhh the peace. I never thought, for instance that I would want to live in the country, separated from civilization... too extreme. I'm a chatty, social-type. Farm girl would be is just too much.... But a few stolen moments? Ahhh... time to regroup and appreciate humanity again. There is nothing so glorious. (or required when you are casting on stitches for a complicated knit pattern. See beginnings of sweater upper left.)
Want the pattern?

http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/tina/tina.html

I'm very excited. Skill level says Very Easy, but it will be my first attempt at cabling. Yarn used? See Feb. 16 blog. This is the Denim Silk. I've ripped and restarted this project about 15 times. Seriously. I think the results will be worth it, though. I like the way the stripes are playing out and really can't wait to get to the cables.

Okay, okay, back to my uninterrupted "office time". Husband will be home in an hour or two and I'll be wanting to chat again.

Have a happy Saturday.

More Photos of my favorite place on the planet....

Thanks for sharing the photos Jer!

Hollywood Tour Guide (aka I love it when friends visit!)

Hello friends and family. We enjoyed a visit from my good friend Jeri this month. We hit all the sights, beginning with a walk around Union Station, yummy french dip sandwiches (the original, you know) from Philippe's.


Next we headed over to Hollywood to take photos with "Oscar"and realize that the last train leaves Hollywood/Highland shortly after 1am (oops).
Next day we hiked in Malibu (Point Dume is my favorite spot on the planet), watched a whale playing in the surf and later enjoyed our fill of fried seafood at Neptune's Net.



Sunday afternoon found us enjoying the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues, Sunset Strip (always wonderful) followed by trinket shopping and a rush home to watch the Academy Awards from the comfort of our living room.


Monday we were delighted to find a really great bakery on the way to the Burbank oops, excuse me Bob Hope International Airport, named Portos Bakery. Yummy, was THAT every a great find! http://www.portosbakery.com/

And so ended a great 3 day weekend. Come back again soon, Jer!

Aunt Melissa's Breakfast Casserole

Happy Birthday Laura!!!

As requested, following is "Aunt Melissa's Breakfast Casserole"...

I read a ton of recipes from different Bed and Breakfast Inns, noted the common ingredients and now I just throw together whatever I have. Here’s the recipe for today. This recipe makes two casseroles. (This recipe can be assembled the night before, refrigerated overnight and popped into the oven before hitting the showers.):

Aunt Melissa’s Breakfast Casserole

• 1 lb Jimmy Dean Sausage*
• 1 chopped onion **
• 8-10 Baking Potatoes scrubbed (but not peeled) and cut into chunks
• Approximately 2 teaspoons Rosemary (a little goes a long way. Don’t overdo it or the potatoes will be too “fragrant”)
• Basil ( fresh or dried, doesn’t matter, dried is fine for this application)
• Chopped fresh parsley is nice in this dish, but I totally forgot it today and it came out fine.
• 4 – 6 slices of whatever stale bread you have in the house. (Today I used the thick sliced “Texas Toast” variety. Sometimes I use bagels or cheddar cheese bread. Even Rye is good)
• 1 dozen eggs ( or 6 eggs and a carton of egg whites)
• A splash of half and half (Maybe ¼ cup?)
• Approx. 1 cup of shredded 3 cheese blend or whatever you have on hand. I personally prefer the cheddar combos for this, but mozzarella is nice, too.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Tex-Joy Steak Seasoning***

In a large bowl, toss chopped potatoes with olive oil. Spread oiled potatoes across a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or a silicon baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with Rosemary, Basil, chopped onions, Tex-Joy Steak Seasoning, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Bake in a 350 - 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. (Note, this makes a great potato side dish for any meal).

As the potatoes bake, brown sausage in a non-stick skillet, draining any excess fat. Set aside.

Chunk or tear bread slices.

Whisk the eggs and half and half by hand or with a mixer. Incorporating a little air makes the eggs fluffy, but don’t overdo it.

Spray two 2.5 quart oval casseroles with cooking spray or lightly oil.

Dividing all ingredients between the two dishes, layer sausage, bread, potatoes, cheese. Pour egg mixture over the top.

Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes, until a clean knife inserted in the middle comes out almost clean. It can be slightly moist in the middle, as it will continue cooking after leaving the oven, but don’t overcook or the eggs will be dry.

* Today I used original flavor. Choose your favorite. Also, Italian sausages or bacon may be used if you don’t have breakfast sausages. Just be careful to cook all varieties that are not marked “precooked” prior to adding to the casserole.

** 4 or 5 green onions may be substituted, but if they are used, do not bake them with the potatoes; instead, sprinkle them in as a layer of the casserole.

***My current favorite, but I’m betting you can’t find it in California. My mom usually buys it for me and sends it from home. It is made in Beaumont, Texas. In a pinch, I’ll use Zatarain’s or any type of Cajun seasoning available. I’m just partial to the Tex-Joy. It make steaks, hamburgers, meatloaf, everything taste great, if you ask me. Here’s their website. Item #100414 16 oz. is $3.50. I usually buy the 32 oz.

http://www.texjoy.com/store/c/13-Steak-Seasonings.aspx

Wow, I'm back!

So many exciting things.... New appliances, cool yarn shop, great knitting stories... That's right. Found an incredible yarn shop in Studio City....Incredible selection. Owner is a DIY knitting show host and teacher to celebrity knitters. Bought the book she was gracious enough to sign. LOVED the yarns and buttons, best selection I've found to date. Since Saturday I've been knitting like a madwoman.

Notice the gorgeous new laundry area??? THANK YOU HUSBAND for all your hard work making the place beautiful for the shiny new appliances which I love almost as much as I love you... well, not half as much, but I'm REALLY excited about the new additions to our little home and find myself staying up late and getting up early JUST TO DO LAUNDRY. Thank you SEARS, your HE5T front loaders are AWESOME! Our old clothes are coming out looking new. I couldn't have imagined it. I bought them for the energy efficiencey and have found that they do an INCREDIBLE job.

Okay. That's all. I have to go to work. Love you all and if I don't forget my password again, (Yes, that's why you haven't heard from me... how embarassing is that!) there will be more knitting news soon!

Only in LA

Thursday night, I've made the 1-1/2 hour commute from downtown via Red Line to Orange Line and stopped into a Rite-Aid pharmacy near home. It isn't unusual for someone to be standing just outside the door asking exiting shoppers for spare change.

THURSDAY, however, was a little unique....

As I'm exiting the store, a well-kept thirty-something year-old man asks, "Excuse me Ma'am, would you like to make a donation to get my film to Sundance?"

that's right....

...hmmmm Excuse me, Sir, would you like to make a donation to support my purchase of a yarn shop??" ...only I didn't say it out loud.

Aunt Melissa's Kitchen is Open Today

All right, who is Aunt Melissa and what's her kitchen have to do with anything?

Aunt Melissa loves to cook, knit and explore LA on MTA. She's married to a computer/amateur astronomer/weather nerd (yep, that's nerd to the 3rd) who loves her cooking and knows how to load a mean dishwasher. (Those engineer types, I tell ya!) If you cook at all, and especially if your kitchen, like mine, is a disaster area when you're done (see below, ahem, I am NOT referring to the hideous wallpaper...and leave the harmless bunny out of this, he's only hiding pot scrubbers)

...you appreciate the value of such a blessing. Nevermind that Uncle Steve (see nerd to the 3rd) loads said dishwasher because he believes me incompetent. I accept the blessing as the true Godsend it is. Motivation aside, THANKS, Honey!





10 inches above disaster area is the view from Aunt Melissa's Kitchen:





Menu today: Yummy Egg/Sausage surprise, Pumpkin Muffins, New Mexico Pinon Coffee and OJ.



Aren't Saturdays the best?!? Next up: knitting, sewing and definitely a workout (you saw the sausage and eggs we consumed, right?)

BTW, a special good luck and best wishes to my knitting buddy, making her way north today. I'll miss our lunchtime
"Knit and B _ _ _ _ " sessions SO much!!


Happy Saturday Everyone! Project Photos to arrive soon.




>>Update 3:40 PM: Uncle Steve says I misunderstood. He doesn't think I'm incompetent, he's just very talented in the area of loading tons of dishes into a small space without chipping the china. It's something they test for in the military, no less! Well, they don't exactly CALL it that, and of course, since I'm not the technical one around here, I've already forgotten what it IS called, but the upside is, he's great with puzzles, too. Me? My talents must lie elsewhere. Who knew a simple blog could clear up a marital misunderstanding of 6 yrs?!? THEN, Uncle Steve showed me how to resize photos to fit within the web browser in enlarged view. Ladies, if you're looking for husbands out there, I highly recommend the Nerd to the 3rd variety! !<<