The Creative Arts

Hi Mom!

I want to lose 30 pounds. I never tried to lose this much weight, and it's a little intimidating. I would like to exchange the sensual satisfaction obtained through sweets and salt with the sensual satisfaction of knitting with different fibers of different colors and color combinations. I certainly can't financially support an obsession with high-quality food with an obsession with high quality yarn. Next year I plan on attending the Sock Summit 2011 so I need to focus on increasing my skills in sock knitting before July. I think I can do well, and at Fibre Space there is some very cool multi-colored yarn with a little gold or other metallic colors. Socks may last a year or two, so I need to make myself some new socks. I had to throw away quite a few pairs I made last year. Time to move on.

I started to find satisfaction in grapes and salads. I just need to be more diligent; treat it like a course in high school. I never skipped out on high school classes unless I was really ill. That's it, I need to weigh myself tomorrow (EEK!), and then work from there, to include 2 salads/day and 2 times I juice fruit or vegetables a day.

Onward I go!

Love,
Maria

Friends knitting

Hi Mom!

I just knitted with my friend at a Thursday night knitting group in Alexandria, Virginia. It was at Fibre Space, which is about a year old, and has some very cool yarns. I finally started your Christmas present. Boy, will it be soft as it is all silk, and a beautiful teal. It's not green or yellow, but I think you will like it. The green and yellow or green/yellow combination yarns just didn't fit the bill.

It's always good to hang with Angel, and to say I have a friend. I could talk with her about waiting for Roy to come home, and I can talk with her about my career dreams. As single women in our 40s when we talk about family we are talking mostly about family of origin, and how our nieces/nephews mean a lot to us. It's good to have someone like that to talk to. She is crocheting potholders that are very cool.

I hope all is well with you!
Love,
Maria

2 Miles Away

Hi Mom,

There was a gunman in the Discovery Building who held 3 hostages. He was eventually shot and killed. The Discovery Building is about 2 miles away from me, and the distance is the main reason that I submitted at least 5 job applications through the online job application site. A couple weeks ago the Discovery Channel had Shark Week, and big big big shark models were attached to the building. That's digressing from the main point, though. It must have been extremely scary, and I watched the news change on the Washington Post online whenever I could. Cars were diverted away from the scene, which resulted in more cars down Blair Road than I usually see when I walk home. I had a feeling it was a result of the hostage situation. How extremely scary, eh?

I hope you are well.

Love,
Maria

Gnocchi

Hi Mom!

We never had gnocchi at home or at least I don't remember it. I bought a sweet potato gnocchi from Whole Foods, and it is total comfort food. I looked forward to it all day. I doused it in butter, and added a little black pepper, a little paprika, and some romano cheese = total comfort food, and enough cholesterol to stop traffic. Yum!

If I had decided to take the meal up a notch, I would have added parsley to the gnocchi to add complexity of flavor, and use gnocchi as a side dish and not the main course.

I tried making gnocchi once a long long time ago - I would guess it was about 1997 or earlier. I remember it as a flour-y experience, and I don't know if that was the time I broke the food mill or maybe I tried to make gnocchi a second time, and that's when I broke the food mill. Anyway, I think the recipe was from the Talisman Italian Cookbook by Ida Boni.

Cheers!
Maria

Decaffeinated

Hi Mom!

I would be extremely witty, but I haven't had coffee since this morning. The reason why I'm not drinking it now is because I don't want to stay up too late. I had a hard time sleeping last night, and I think it's because I drank coffee too late. Sometimes it's totally worth the next day uber-blahs to drink the cup of coffee when I want and when I NEED it. I wouldn't be surprised if within an hour my little coffee machine will percolate with a dare I say poetic brew.

It's hot outside, and it must be endured! So much for working out today as it's too hot to walk to the gym. :)

I hope you have a great day!
Love,
Maria

New Beginnings

Hi Mom!

I spent the day with Linda and her daughters. They start school tomorrow. Lauren starts her first day of high school, and Jenna starts her first day of 4th grade. It's pretty amazing that school is starting in August. OMG! It's still in the 90s this week. I didn't realize what a treat it was to start school after labor day, but I relish the memories of starting after labor day. Starting before labor day is for the birds.

I hope that Linda and I will start new beginnings in alignment with Lauren's; new places and new people to apply our existing talents, and to grow as our career interests grow. I think that we have a lot of good ahead of us.

Wish us luck!
Love,
Maria

Let's Talk Money

Hi Mom!

Am I the only person on the planet who hates reconciling her bank statement? Don't worry I do it. If I don't do it I don't have the control I need to live as a responsible adult :) However, man it always makes me nervous before, and sometimes, not as much recently as a year ago, but sometimes I just feel really lost and stranded afterwards. Money money money money money. It doesn't slip through my fingers as it did for years, but sometimes it brings pleasure and sometimes the thought of it brings pain. I can't wait until this object has so little emotional investment, but it sure does reflect a way of living, eh?

I hope you have a great day!

Love,
Maria

Priorities Priorities

Hi Mom:

It's amazing how making a list will put everything in perspective. I keep wondering why I'm having such a hard time running. Part of the problem is the heat, and that the machine I used to use broke. The gym I joined is about 2 miles away, and walking in the heat gets tiresome. I still see the value of running, the feeling I feel during and after the run. However, as we know, inspiration must come before an action.

So, I asked myself, Which do you prefer coffee or reading?
Then I asked myself, Which do you prefer coffee or knitting?
Then I asked myself, Which do you prefer coffee or running?

When I answered these questions I realized the priorities of activities that I mainly do alone:

1.Reading (by a landslide)
2.Knitting (such GORGEOUS colors)
3.Coffee (give me a rush of life)
4.Running (a form of communication with God)

I need to think of ways to run as when I get a runner's high it's like I'm talking directly with God. It's a joyful beautiful feeling. So, I thought - well, you love to walk around, and you have been a walker for 30+ years. What's so hard about just walking faster. Well, walking and running are not the same as I feel I must focus more when I run, there's the music to manage, the warm-up, the shower afterwards. Very different from running.

Yesterday, though I talked with colleagues about social media, and it's true, I always look at images first. So, maybe bringing my camera along on a run will inspire me to run. It will make reading my running blog a richer experience. Something to think about.

I bought new yarn yesterday that just rocks! It's a dark moss green with beads. I'm using it to knit Lauren's Christmas gift. I just showed it to my colleagues. :)

I hope you have a great day!

Love,
Maria

My 42 birthday

Hi Mom!

I hope you are well. You are missed. It's a little hot here, but I guess you know what hot is when you are 8 months pregnant with twins, eh? Good thing we came early, so you didn't have to endure another summer month in NJ :)

It's great to hear from you.

Love,
Maria