Long Term Parking

Evan has relapsed. Home from school with sore throat, fever, and cannot swallow. Um, sounds familiar. We are going back to his Dr at 5 pm. Third trip in three weeks. I had not driven since I took myself to the Dr last week. As I approached the car, there were cobwebs around the wheel wells and tires. Seriously. Use em, or lose em!






So, I went out to buy the ingredients to make him some Mommas Chicken Soup. Very good tasting, easy on the throat, with curative properties. Recipe included:

2 chicken boneless breast or 6 boneless skinless thigh meat
2 Cartons Organic Chicken Broth
1 C diced celery
1 C diced onion
2 C sliced carrots
1/2 bag frozen spinach
1 Bag of Trader Joe cooked Brown Rice

In large stock pot, add olive oil and cook the veggies over med-high heat until the vegetables are soft. Cut up the chicken into bite size pieces and add to pot. Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes. Add spinach, rice and broth. Bring to boil and them immediately cut back the heat to low. Season with salt, pepper and red chili flakes if you like a little heat. Skim the foam if any appears and serve. Do not contaminate with germs by tasting with a used spoon!

Deforestation Continues

I extended the olive branch (or in this case the eucalyptus branch) of peace to my war mongering neighbors. Oh, they would hate to be called that. Two tall, gentle artists. Living in harmony with nature, while only wanting, what ever it is they want, in their own private Idaho.

Well, for over a year now they have wanted our trees cut down by 1/2 to 1/3. Sunday they got their wish. I found a low cost company of brave, tree swinging, rope climbing, acrobatic Mexican tree trimmers. There are roving bands of them all over San Diego County! They needed the work. The deal was struck and the deed is done. I love the sound of chainsaws in the morning. It stirs my soul.

I made nice with the mean kids in the sandbox. It will be hot around here until the trees recovery and fill in with dense leafy adornment. By September, I will have some shade I hope. Privacy has left the building with Elvis...

March Madness Recap- No Basketball Included

While our men watched the kids and basketball, the annual ladies retreat occurred in March. I have been remiss in posting anything much about it, because I had fun and did not take many pictures. We were at the "wundaful, wundaful" Lawrence Welk Resort. It was beautiful weather with "way beyond adequate" accommodations.

If you are a grown up and you have any opportunity to attend a retreat for rest, relaxation and a minimum of education, I must insist you try to go! I have few other requirements. It can be hobby based, spiritual, business oriented, physical rejuvenation... If the event does not include wine, take a bottle and do not forget a corkscrew. Maybe one for each night away from home. You will have the most popular room at the event and look forward to small group breakouts!

We ended up with one retreat that encompassed all of the above attributes. Best speakers, best yoga class, productive knitting, fab food and good times. It is like mini camp. We do not hesitate to make sure our kids have great camp experiences, do we? Remember Mom and Dad-take care of yourself first, with the goal of caring for everyone else more when you are well equipped and sound. Just like the mask on the airplane...

Knitting Graffiti

Graffiti as defined in the dictionary is: (used with a plural verb) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like: These graffiti are evidence of the neighborhood's decline.

So on a random tour of youutube looking for something else entirely, I came across the video filmed in Texas of a group of radical knitters. Search for knittasplease and you will see how this group travels around in a camper and attach knitting to bridges, signposts, handrails, signs, etc. with a lookout a getaway driver!

I then found these photos of knitters expressions of the love of their craft and perhaps a deep and meaningful political statement.

We KnitWits will be meeting secretly to discuss the application of our own "art" installation.Code word to access the meeting- April Fool's Day!

Belated Barbie Birthday Greetings

Before the Ides of March are ushered out for our April showers, I want to lift up the name of Barbie! Happy 50th Birthday, Barbie! We had a great run.

In my lifetime I have met women my age that claim to never have had a Barbie doll. They claim that their progressive thinking mother or their very own feminist understandings, prevented them from indulging in what they perceived to be harmful feminine role play via the Barbie Doll.

I embraced Barbie and Ken with all my young heart. She was born in 59, when I was 4 years old. My mother would not allow me to have such a mature doll until I was 6. So, in 1960, for my 6th Birthday I received the red head bubble hair Barbie. No one asked me. I did not chose her. Back in the days when gifts were gifts, not prescribed lists of must haves! She uncannily resembled my Mother?

I had played with my school chums collections and coveted all things Barbie. Being a very conservative toy spending family, this was the only Barbie I ever received and I have her still. I also have my original Ken doll and all of the clothes and accessories I ever received. It is not a giant collection. My parents divorced when I was 6 and toys were low on the list of expenditures.

I role played the perfect family with my Barbie and Ken. She was the perfect Mother and he was the Perfect Father to the 10 cent plastic baby I bought at the S.S.Kresge Store. It was a tiny baby replica no bigger than 3 inches. The eyes actually opened and closed. I made a diaper from toilet paper and scotch tape that to this day adorns it's bottom. I sewed clothes for the girls and even knit a few tiny garments on the size 2 needles I first learned on.


My friends would rush through a long list of cleaning chores on Saturday morning so we could take our coins to the Dime store. I always had enough to buy a trinket and sit at the soda fountain counter for the 99 cent lunch. A grilled cheese sandwich, potato chips, pickles and soda. It also included a "pop the balloon" to see how much a hot fudge sundae would cost you. Priced between 1 penny and 69 cents! Budgeting and value shopping were instilled early on.

Barbie was an inspiration. Her career path was unheard of for women of the day. She was a revolutionary, ground breaking doll. I do not regret a minute spent with her and her kind. I feel sorry for the misguided girls that eschewed all things feminine, maternal or domestic during their youth. May I be so bold to say, in my observation, many of these ladies are in perpetual pursuit of a feminine perfection and perverted body image that they claim Barbie represented? My brushstroke may seem broad, but I defend my right to wield it as my own observation.

Tea and Rest is the Only Cure

My doctor has ordered me to put down the knitting! I am feeling too sick to knit right now, so I will comply. He wants me to take 2 weeks off with anti-inflammatory meds and wear the rigid arm brace 24 hours a day. I can do this- but it is not what I want to do. I do not have carpal tunnel. It is simple tendinitis. There is the good news. So, Brian, Brynn, new babies (a gaggle of little girls) and charity projects, I apologize. I sip my hot tea, swallowing tentatively. Rest is the only cure...

Sick in The Sick House

There has been a lot of coughing going on in this house. Husband has been walking around with a chronic cough since Christmas. Allergy or asthma related perhaps.

The teenager started over two weeks ago with a serious, keep you up all night cough. The Dr prescribed codeine cough syrup and fluids. One week later, after no improvement we were back at his Dr for a Z-pack as a preventative for whooping cough which had been reported at his school. He is somewhat better.


College girl arrived for her last spring break, exposed herself to her brother, and flew home, straight to her Dr and her own antibiotics RX.

As a Mom, I never get sick. I have that mommy immunity that comes with caring for really sick people and the germ ridden detritus they leave behind. However, the random gob smack has occurred and I find myself sick as I can remember.

My throbbing head, swollen glands and sore throat feel monumental. I have been caught. My Dr was so sweet. He said he was actually thinking of me recently as one of his few patients that only come in annually for a check up or when very ill. He had not seen me for a year and wondered what was up. Now he knows. Not only about the strep throat diagnosis, but my weight creeping up, life at the Wenskay Casa and my sore wrist and hands. I left with a brace RX, my own Z-pack, a lecture on weight loss, and the potential abuse of red wine??!!

We are usually stoic sick people. This is the very first Z-pack for Evan and me. I believe that we over use antibiotics in this nation and I want my system to respond well to them when I need them. I also have a pretty healthy family. So I am thankful for the medical care we have access to and the fact that we do not need it often. If I can get some sleep and swallow with ease, I will be down right happy. So if you are looking for me, just follow the tissue trail to the messy bed...