Snow and Presidents

I must have been in South Dakota! I was lucky enough to go home for my Nephew's graduation in May. Lucky enough to catch a nice snowstorm...in May! (I did not bring a jacket or even anything long sleeved!) 

As with many storms that late in the season the snow was gone by the time I left. I've got to say I found it very relaxing though. It made it seem so much more homey in a way. I even baked bread, which was gone before the snow was.

My family lives near the Black Hills. The Black Hills also contain Mt Rushmore. The self proclaimed gateway to the Hills and Mt Rushmore is Rapid City. Rapid City, or just Rapid if you're from the area, loves to draw in tourists. Rapid came up with a plan, after we moved away, of putting up statues of all the presidents in the downtown area. You've seen a couple here before.

Last year my sister said she wanted to do the scavenger hunt of all the statues. Well we thought it was a scavenger hunt of sorts. The tourism board puts out a walking tour brochure, and on the very last page is a close up picture of a portion of a statue.

As you know last year we were very busy with Dad''s urgent care and transition. We simply did not have time.

This year I emailed her and asked if we could see the presidents. I received an enthusiastic heck yeah back. Then the snow started to fall at the graduation ceremony. They were calling for one heck of a storm. The presidents would have to wait another year.

But then a day after the snow hit it warmed up, not swimsuit weather by any means but good enough for a trip down town.

Now looking at my map I realize we missed a couple. Oh well let's start with John Adams. He was our second president, and had a son that was also a president. You can not tell we went in the afternoon with our shadows on the statue.

This dapper chap would be that son John Quincy Adams. He was known to be quite a snappy dresser. The detail on the statues was half of the fun.

My sister read off the headline on the Kinderhook paper in his hand when I exclaimed, I've been to his house! You know when you hear words that are out of place for your surroundings? I hear Kinderhook every once in a while, but not in South Dakota. I also point out NY plates while driving in SD and vice versa. I am quirky that way.

This gent is Martin Van Buren. His home is located outside of Kinderhook, NY. He was known as Old Kinderhook and is credited with originating O.K.

Do you think we share the same double chin? OK then!

How it that for our first three presidents on the tour? I'll scatter them in here and there. It was great fun and enjoyed it. Plus I made it so my excellent brother in law does not have to walk it now. You're welcome BIL.

Salt Rimmed Margarita

See I really have been knitting through all the kitchen turmoil and post turmoil baking time.

D has new Gus approved socks.

These are from Mt Rutsen Studio Madison yarn in the Margarita colorway. I love how eye searing green it is. It is a bit lost in the shadows but in person the color makes your mouth pucker because to reminds you of sucking on limes. That is how saturated the color is. While I was working on them I kept holding them next to Gus's eyes. They did not really match but hints of similar colors are there. 

Ah yes the toes. They were a bit of a problem, turned experiment. You see I've learned my lesson. Experience kept yelling at me as I got close to the toe on the first sock. When I do a pattern on the leg of D's socks I tend to use just a bit too much yarn. You'd think I would make the sock just a trifle shorter but you'd be wrong. 

I weighed the yarn and found I would indeed need to find two toes worth of complimentary yarn. It was D's idea to use a creamy yarn to give the idea of salt rimmed socks. I went digging in my left overs bags and found some of my favorite Icelandic yarn. 

The toe on the left is the first toe. I knit it fine then when I got to the second toe I suspected I would have the same problem on my hands only with different yarn this time. After a bit of juggling I decided to alternate rows of yarn. Now I want to do this on all my socks. I love the way it looks. 

Now D has a new set of blindingly beautiful socks. And I know which booth I'll be going back to this fall. They also had my favorite stitch markers, you remember the ones that made sweater knitting fun again? Maybe I need a nice basket too?

As you've suspected

As you can tell from my absence from here my kitchen has been finished for a while now. There will be finished product pictures soon, but in the mean time...

The baking bug has bit me hard. I don't know that I've ever made so many things since I first got married and had my own kitchen.

My King Arthur Flour Baking Book has given me quite a few keeper recipes. You'll notice my lovely coffee cake displayed above.

It was so good I had to make it twice and neither one make it to the freezer for later. Turns out later can be just five minutes too.

We even have made a tea corner. I took a crappy picture of it but I've got one!!

Even though I've been happily tied up with my baking and my church duties, I've been knitting along when I can find the time. I knit through a church meeting last month. Hopefully I've proven that knitting and paying attention go hand in hand.

I thought about being subtle with my knitting, but decided knitting volunteer is way better than no volunteer. I've been places, knitting along when someone finally notice I was knitting after I'd been doing it for half an hour.

Anyways those socks are Fiber Stash Tweedy Toes in Pick Your Own colorway. My picture does not show them off, but there are tiny little tweedy bits. I decided against her yarn a couple of years ago and regretted it. Guess that is part of the reason I am so happy with the skein I bought last year.

Right now my needles are busy with a second sock for Mom and a second sock for D. Wait till you see D's, they're interesting.

Was that the oven timer? Just kidding I already made a batch of muffins and a couple of loaves of pumpkin bread today. Even my freezer is happy with my baking.

Where were we?

Oh yes the appliances.

It started to feel like a real kitchen when most of the appliances were installed.

Then the sink and countertop people showed up.

Then it really got real! 

We were so very close to getting back to normal. 

Even Jack was so happy he had to go tip toeing through the tulips, I mean across the cooktop.

I don't think Gus is to blame for those foot prints. I am pretty sure he can not leap higher than a footstool.

Next up

Way back when our counters were being measured I came home to find we had new floors going in. We had been told this would be one of the last things they did but nope they came early!

It started to resemble a real kitchen only without the plumbing. I missed plumbing!

You see I am planning on making this my baking cabinet. See the sparkle in my eye? I'm dreaming of tasty baked goods.

The saga continued

When we last left our intrepid home owners the kitchen was kaput!

Every day was an adventure. What was worked on today? One day we came home and we had upper cabinets and a wider entrance way. It was a very exciting day.

The next day we came home we had lower cabinets.

Then the cabinets magically sprouted handles. 

Next they sprouted curious kittens.

OK so the kitten was not from the cabinets, he was just allowed to do a wee bit of exploring.

I'm not sure which I loved the most, my dining room table taking up most of the living room or all the microwave meals. I think I exceeded my allowed salt intake a few days. At least I did not feel like we were burning through all our money by eating out all the time.

That is one heck of a cluster. 

Next time we get measured for counter tops. I can hardly wait.

Socks on a Cat

Well since I can never seem to pin down D for his sock pictures, I called upon his stunt double Gustav.

First up we have Bittersweet Woolery's Frog Prince socks. With all the winter we were having I decided I needed something bright. Oh boy did these fit the bill. Good thing they were in my purse when I had to wait at the service station for a new battery. Winter killed off my old one.

Now the astute among you will note that the socks are in fact two shades the one on the left being more yellow while the one on the right is more green. I swear to you they were knit from the same skein of yarn. Now D has some totally unique super bright socks. Since he really is my Frog Prince.

Next up we have Gus modeling the first Pining for You sock from Socks that Rock Mediumweight. 

I did a nice little cable down one side since it adds a bit of excitement to a lovely plain-ish yarn color. 

This was not a warm day so Gus was not opposed to having wooly things draped over him. 

Finally my sock was still on the needles for the photo shoot and that does not make for a happy kitty knitting model so Jack nosed in to prove my knitting is kitty approved.

Now up on the needles for D is Mt. Rutsen Studio Margarita socks. I was saving this yarn for the dark winter days but somehow it missed the rotation twice now. I could not think of it sitting till next year, and since the grass may be uncovered it still is not growing yet. This color shall amuse me in the mean time. Totally not in my normal color selections but I am adoring it so far. Now if I could just find a cable to highlight the color.

I'm going to go feed the cats then look through a few knitting books