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In Praise Of Mom Food

February 2, 2023 By Karen in Uncategorized No Comments

This is a great essay from a parenting site (fair warning, the next essay down the page talks about having a fourth kid, jesus) about the foods our moms fed us in the 80s and 90s. The food described is an instant nostalgia trip but there are great points to be made that just cooking someone something is enough; it doesn’t have to be over-engineered to the point everyone is unhappy.  (“What’s wrong with a salad being made of iceberg lettuce and bagged cheese instead of kale massaged in olive oil and pomegranate seeds? Literally nothing!”)

…there was spaghetti with parmesan from a can and baked potatoes with a big dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. There were chicken and broccoli casseroles; there was bottled teriyaki sauce poured over frozen meatballs and rice and meatloaf with a side of steamed frozen veggies. There were frozen waffles for breakfast with sliced strawberries and normal peanut butter that didn’t gloop out when you opened the jar because it needed to be mixed together, and there was Daisy cottage cheese topped with canned, syrupy mandarin oranges, and there were bowls of Lucky Charms.

Hell yes!

 

 

Halfway!

February 1, 2023 By Karen in Uncategorized No Comments

A mini mood board for making it to the midpoint of winter:

I heartily agree with this in 2023, The Year of the Capybara:

Replace Groundhog Day with Capybara Spa Day pic.twitter.com/EjO72X0Un2

— Clayton Cubitt (@claytoncubitt) February 2, 2019

The Barter Economy of Sewing

January 31, 2023 By Karen in sewing No Comments

A friend showed her kiddo pics of  the dice bag I made Doc’s nephew and he wondered “if Miss Karen would make a bag for me and my auntie.” Miss Karen said of course she would–no charge, just provide the fabric.

Well, the fabrick [sic] arrived last week along with instructions re: which is the lining for which bag…and a Lego figure as a surprise payment!

I was reminded of 2020 when I was trading mask sewing for toilet paper and fresh eggs and have to conclude that I love the sewing barter economy.

Fiber-nating

January 30, 2023 By Karen in quilts, sewing No Comments

I’ve been missing the mountains, but it’s been snowing the last two Sundays and gearing up to go out in the snow just hits different at the end of January vs. at the beginning of November.

So we stayed home and I started quilting my chore coat:

My long black quilted coat used a thin cotton batting and I absolutely paved that thing with quilting–so for this completely different quilted coat, I used a really hi-loft polyester batting and am just outlining the sawtooth stars. And boy is it puffy!

I am going to be so warm. Warm and bulky. Quilt bros will understand.

Friday Links

January 27, 2023 By Karen in Friday Unrelated Information No Comments

1. Anne Helen Petersen talked about layoffs, terrible CEOs, and the fight between how it has always been (employers in power) and how it could be. Worth a read!

Even if you’ve come to terms with the fundamental irrationality of the stock market, it’s still difficult to fight the feeling that CEOs are willing this recession into existence to create a justifying narrative for layoffs. Not because they necessarily want to save money, or even redirect the company, but to press reset on what they view as out-of-control compensation packages and worker demands.

 

2. I feel like I’ve linked this before, but I was stuck for something to listen to and Austin Kleon’s “31 perfect records” (i.e., albums where he doesn’t skip a track) came up. Sam Cooke is number 1!

 

3. Anything is a sea chanty:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by jimlapbap (@jimlapbap)

Vibes

January 26, 2023 By Karen in gram time No Comments

The vibes this week are “wow it’s hard to wake up” and “huh, I slept for 9 hours and could keep sleeping” and “ooh yes I do need an extra blanket on the bed”–that is, they are hibernation vibes (hibes?).  Here’s a handful of pictures and accounts for your own sleepy times:

From a series by artist Sophie Lucido Johnson:

From a wonderful account that just posts art all day, Le Jardin RoBo:

From pretty much the opposite of a refined art account, but a good time (Da Share Zone):

Legalize it!

The Joy Of Precisely Following Instructions

January 25, 2023 By Karen in Uncategorized No Comments

Doc got me a Lego set for Christmas and it might have been the most inspired gift ever: It gives you the mental break of a puzzle, but it’s structured, which means nothing is open-ended and you never have to search for a solution. If you have my brain (anxious, needs order) then this is the best possible thing you can imagine.

I built the pirate ship from my Christmas set and will disassemble it soon to turn it into a pirate tavern (it’s a 3-in-1!) but in the meantime I found the Legos marketed specifically for adults and bought one for myself:

I remember doing a few sets back in the 90s but I was still young enough that the process wasn’t important, the main thing was getting to the finished product as soon as possible so you could play Lego Pirates. But building sets an an adult? Yes, give me more instructions to follow precisely. I can’t get enough.

Should I Just Sew This Already?

January 24, 2023 By Karen in sewing No Comments

Nearly a year ago (to the very day!) I posted about maybe sewing a carry-on bag and traveling. That, of course, was before Toby got sick and now that he needs insulin twice a day, we’ve kind of shelved the idea of travel for the time being. But did I buy fabric for the damn bag a year ago, plus all the hardware and notions? Of course. Has everything been sitting in a pile on the end of my ironing board for a year now? You know it!
I ended up going with a stripe to copy the Kate Spade Saturday look to the max, in waterproof Ottertex ordered from Fabric Wholesale Direct:

And of course I planned on doing the contrast lining (but in orange ripstop) and yes, the lining fabric has been sitting on the ironing board for a year, too:

Okay, I’ve answered my question; I’d better just sew this thing up after I finish the latest quilt coat. Maybe we won’t be traveling but it would be nice to have the end of the ironing board back.

Things That Are Fuzzy

January 23, 2023 By Karen in Uncategorized

Some toe beans:

A magnolia bud (!):

Enjoy some softness to start the week. Only one more Monday in January!

Friday Links That Are Sad

January 20, 2023 By Karen in Uncategorized

Today’s the fourth anniversary of Mom’s death. I don’t have much to say today; the longer it is, the more grief and memory are just a daily thing versus a “before this date, everything was okay” comparison. I wish she was still here. I wish I could show her my quilts and my cakes. I’m glad she’s not sick anymore.

1. This onion definitely made me cry:

 

2. That’s okay, though, because this kid knows what to say to someone who’s crying:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by F M R (@futuremindreader)

 

3. This was my dad’s theme song for the first few months after mom’s death. It’s just what you have to do: keep on keepin’ on.

PS–First Aid Kit is coming to town in May! Maybe Dad and I should go.

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