Holiday Elf

This is a free pattern from the Knit Picks website. I had some stash Palette and thought I would use it up. It does use very little. I put bells on instead of pompoms. A good project for an afternoon of bad weather movie watching. They are fun and took me about 4 hours total to make one. I will make more.

Einstein Jacket

So third time is a charm. While I did not get a good picture of the jacket, it is done finally. I used Vanna's yarn from my stash in the purple colorway and buttons from Knit Picks that look like the Harmony needles. It took me 16 days to finish and now it is getting cold I can wear it. I did wash it and it stretched a bit but I wanted a longer coat like jacket to wear.

Fairies

Can these get any cuter? Susan B Anderson has done it again. I wish she would quit creating, I can't knit all her stuff fast enough. I finished this in 2 days but there are so many small parts, it is like sewing Barbie clothes. I plan on making several of these along with some mushrooms and put them in Easter baskets for next year. I know I have Christmas knitting to finish but they are small easy projects for when you need something to occupy your time.

BTW you can find the pattern in KnitSimple Holiday 2011.

Chocolate Covered Cherries

Never buy them again, you must make them because that is the only way to have them.

The recipe calls for:

60 maraschino cherries (drain really well and de-stem if necessary)
3 T butter ( do not substitute)
3 T Light Corn Syrup (the clear kind)
2 C Powdered Sugar
1 package (14 oz) Wilton Candy Melts

Before I get into the making of the cherries I used a large jar I got at Sam's. They are bigger and sweeter. The label says 170 but I had 162 cherries in the jar. For all of them I used 2 sticks butter, 2 lb package powdered sugar, and a small jar of syrup. I used 2.5 bags candy melts in Light Cocoa flavor. I find candy melts make a much prettier and better cherry than almond bark.

If you don't have one of these Wilton candy melt melters, get yourself one, they are $20 at Walmart and are so much better than a double boiler.

I also like the spoon in the Wilton candy maker set it works perfect for the cherries.

Get out your cookies sheets and line with waxed paper. Make sure you have room in the frig for them to sit for about 30 minutes twice.

I like to use tins rather than any other container to keep the cherries in while they are making. I line them really well with wax paper and put a layer or two of wax paper in between each layer. Store them in the attic or garage or anywhere where it will be about 35-40 degrees. You don't want them to freeze but they need to be cool to juice up. It takes about 3 weeks to juice. Do not put them in the frig they wont juice up.

You need to drain the cherries really well and de-stem if they have the stems still on them. It does not hurt to drain them overnight, they will have more juice in them than you think.

Mix the powdered sugar, butter and corn syrup until you have a kind of clay, marzipan consistency. It helps to let the butter sit out overnight and get soft.

Take a bit of white dough and wrap it around a cherry, cover as much as possible. This will turn to the liquid juice. Put them on the cookie sheet. When you get a sheet full put them in the frig for about 30 minutes to set.

When you are working on your last sheet of cherries put the Candy melts in whatever you are using to melt them and get them started. If you are using the Wilton melter you can let it sit and stay melted for a long time.

Cover the entire cherry and make sure every bit of it has chocolate on it and put it back on the wax paper lined cookie sheet. When you have a sheet full put it back in the frig to let the chocolate set and take the next sheet out. Continue til all cherries have been covered in chocolate.

Once the cherries have set in the frig for about half an hour take them out and make sure the chocolate has set. Then pack them in containers to set for at least 3 weeks. I usually try one after a week and then two weeks and then three weeks to make sure they juicing and then they are ready.

Bet you can't eat just one.

Make Your Bed Or Not

There is a letter in the paper today about making your bed. This "person" says children spend 3 minutes a day making their bed and that amounts to 18 hours and 15 minutes a year wasted when they could be sleeping. Seriously I don't think 3 minutes a day will matter. She also says that a lack of sleep is a major problem in our world, again we are talking 3 minutes a day. She goes on to state that when teens are up late studying, a made bed is too enticing. They tend to desire sleep instead of completing tasks essential for being successful in the future. She says whether you make your bed or not could determine whether you find a cure for cancer, solve world peace or even end proverty.

As my friend Mike McPhee says shes smoking dope and she votes.

My parents made me make my bed, thanks mom and dad I could have cured cancer but you made me make my bed instead.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

My favorite day of the year. How perfect is a day where you can pretend to be anything you want and get candy. You can participate or not, it is totally up to you. No one really cares either way.

When I was a kid we were allowed to go out until we were 12 and then we were too old to Trick or Treat. I like that now and think it should be adhered to. I don't like it when the big kids come with no costume and a pillow case to collect candy. That is just wrong.

The best place to trick or treat was Parkview Village in Oklahoma City. When dad would go to school we would stay there, there were 243 units with 7 to a section with a yard in front and swings. Every mom was June Cleaver minus the heels and pearls, a veritable candy fest on Halloween. You could collect a grocery sack full of great things like popcorn balls, candy apples, and of course the loose candy. You did not have to be afraid of what some lowlife scumbag might put in there to hurt you (seriously why would you do that, did you not get to go Trick or Treating when you were a kid). We were only allowed a piece a day and when you have a sack full of candy well it can last until Easter.

Do you know there are 9 BILLION pieces of candy corn sold a year? There will be some 41 million trick or treaters out this evening. (For those of you buried under snow, that just really sucks that you can't go get candy). There will be 116.7 million potential stops for candy, how much money are the candy companies making today? There are 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins produced in the US. We consume 24.7 pounds of candy a year, I know I do my fair share. And there are 1719 number of costume rental establishments in the US.

So what are you doing today, Trick or Treat?

Happy Anniversary mom and dad, 57 years and still going.

The Bra You Have Been Waiting For

http://swagsoldseparately.com/victoria-secret-2-5-million-luxury-bra/

Dear Victoria Secret: Why would anyone buy a bra worth $2.5 million and where would one wear it. Seriously bras are to be functionable and worn under the clothes. With all the extra bling on this year's bra you would not want to hide it. How many of these do you sell? What do you do with them when they don't sell and how many do you make a year? Or are they really not for sale but as a company you truly have too much money and don't know what to do with it so you spend it on diamond bras.

This year’s diamond bra named the “Fantasy Treasure Bra,” is aqua colored, and boasts nearly 3,400 precious gems, including 142 carats of white and yellow diamond, pearls, citrines, aquamarines set in bright 18 karat white and yellow gold. The center of the bra holds two large white diamonds each an astonishing 8 carats with two 14 carat yellow diamonds to give it a more opulent look. The bra is made by Long Island’s London Jewelers.

If anyone buys one of these let me know where you wear it and how comfortable it is. Oh yea I dont the delicate wash cycle will work for this or hand washing either.

It Has Been A Year Already

One year ago today I attended the funeral of a co-worker. We were talking yesterday that Jerry has been gone already a year. Where did that year go? Jerry was one of those guys that everyone liked, he never had a bad day even though the cancer and other things ravaged his body. He died in front of us at work and we could not help him; it is still difficult at times to walk down the hallway. Jerry had just purchased his dream property for retirement with Linda his wife and they were planning on moving there soon. He was about to turn 60 and had the rest of his life planned to live in the country and just simply enjoy life.

Don't let life pass you by, enjoy every moment no matter what it is because we never when our time is up.

RIP Jerry, we miss you.

Roger Sings Johnny Cash

I went to the Roger Daltrey Tommy concert last night. Roger is 67 but you would never know it, he still has it.

The show started out with Paul Freeman warming up the audience for 30 minutes, he has an amazing voice and range and was quite humorous as well. Check him out he is good.

The crowd was mostly middle age with a few younger in their 30's and half a dozen children. The Midland was packed, the lady I sat by was from out of town and had a flight this morning so thought she would find something to do and said at 4:30 yesterday afternoon there were 7 seats left. I still wonder about the Midland being so small but the fans were true blue WHO fans.

The concert was to promote the Rock Opera Tommy written by members of the band in the 70's. In case you never saw the Opera you can still get the movie with Ann Margaret. Roger had an amazing band and the lead guitarist was off the charts. They started with the music from the beginning of the Opera and finished with the last song. Of course the crowd favorites were Pinball Wizard and a few others but when the crowd was asked to sing the lyrics there was no hestitation we knew them all.

After the music from Tommy was sung they brought out some favorites WHO songs. Towards the end Roger explained he has been through some throat surgeries and the doctor told him to sing some low songs towards the end of the concert, so he did a medley of Johnny Cash songs. Who would have thought Roger Daltrey would sing Johnny Cash but he said he was a fan so he did and we loved it.

The show went on for 2 hours with Roger slugging down hot tea and water to keep his throat going and the crowd loved every minute of it.

When I was in High School I remember I had my Roger Daltrey poster complete with the long curls and my yellow Roger Daltrey Tee, I wore that out and wish I still had it.

It was one of the best concerts I have ever been to but then The Who along with Journey are my favorite bands. I suppose there will come a day when Roger's throat will give out and we won't have the pleasure of listening to him sing anymore but I do have my memories and he is truly a classic.

Olive Garden

I have not been to Olive Garden for a very long time mostly due to the last two visits of extreme waiting times just to get a menu and finally walking out without getting waited on for over 20 minutes. This just seals that I will never go back to an Olive Garden again.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/12/2450137/restaurant-firm-responds-to-flag.html

Why Wasn't He Fired?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/oct/5/justice-official-financed-romantic-travel-with-tax/

As a federal employee this burns my butt to no end. People like this give all of us a bad name and further more this is why the Government is broke, he should be fired for what he has done, made to pay back the money and NOT get any retirement at all. Until we clean up the government we will never get out of this mess the country is in.

This should surprise Noone

http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-national/breaking-new-evidence-show-hillary-a-mastermind-behind-gunwalker

Every since Hilary was caught up in the whole Vince Foster thing and came out squeaky clean, we know she has a lot of involvement in shady dealings. So how about we get a twofer and remove her and Eric Holder out of their jobs and try them for treason.

Let Her Eat Cake

I don't care what anyone eats as long as they pay for it themselves. But don't come on TV everytime I turn around, and flouce your big butt in my face and tell me I need to eat healthy and that you feel the pain of the middle class. This is an interesting article about the obutts and their dining out. I will eat what I want and if I want to be bigger than a barn that is my RIGHT and you keep your food plate to yourself. Even if I could afford to eat like this I wouldn't because I know it is not healthy. So you need to walk the talk or be quiet.

http://thekitchencabinet.us/2011/10/10/first-lady-michelle-obamas-upscale-menus-unaffordable-for-most-americans/