Knitting, Singing, the Universe and all....

BlackMadonnas01 Originally uploaded by robbinmt Yep...I've been obsessed for at least 30 years.... here's some favorites. May Mary, Mother Divine in all her aspects, Bless and Care for you :-) If you "left-click" on the image, you will be taken to my Flickr collage, which is bigger, and you can see more details! Also, you can find the individual images in my Flickr "Favorites" if you are interested in who took the photos, and where the Madonnas are located. Some people have even posted a little history about the Madonna they have photographed. And here's a few more:

And it's clear that we are going to make this again and again and again. Gingery, with a champagne-like sparkle and a smooth finish..... Here's how we did it! First I put the Ginger Beer "Plant" (little symbiotic grains of bacteria/yeast, similar to kefir grains!) in a jar with some water, sugar, and ginger. Then we let it ferment for 3 days....... On day 3, I decanted it (through a strainer) into a sealable jug. (I rescued the little Ginger Beer Plant grains. They are currently vacationing in the fridge in a lovely sugar solution. But we're going to get it back out to work on another batch right away!) We let this jug sit at room temperature another 2 days. Day 5: we put the Ginger Beer bottle in the fridge for a day. Day 6: The un-corking!!! It didn't seem very fizzy at first, but about 5 seconds later, Jon was pouring over the sink! I'm getting ready for another Ginger Beer batch- and becasue the "plant" reproduces, I can make a batch 3 times

Firstly, the Knitting! It is being blocked (so that the bottom eyelet row will cradle a lovely red ribbon to tie about the chin!) but here's a little Baby Bonnet hot off the needles, to go along with the tiny Magic Baby Slippers of a few weeks ago: These are for friends Kellie and Josh - expecting their first baby in just a couple more months!!! I think the colors are "uni-sex" enough to go one way or the other..... Then, on our "romantic vacation" to Ottawa a couple of weeks ago, I started these Spiralicious Socks for something to knit on the plane. Jon was absolutely floored when, half-way there, I declared the lacey pattern a misinterpretation of knitting nature. The colours in this yarn change about every 2-3 inches - resulting in a fabulous palette with slubs and interest at every loop. But this yarn.....forced my lovely leaf-lace pattern into hiding. So, I tore back, cast on again, and forged forward with an improvised spiral rib - I rather like them! A

Happy Day for Fathers everywhere! What did you do to remind your dad and the men who nurture you that they are cherished and loved? We had Jon's dad, Stan and his wife, Bev over for Herb Stuffed Salmon wrapped in Lettuce ( adapted from Nourishing Traditions - Sally Fallon), salad of Haricot Verts , and Fresh Peach Sorbet made with our VitaMix...... I think both Stan and Jonathan were happy with the result! (as were we :-) Start by making the Stuffing in the food processor: 1c. toasted almonds, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 cup packed fresh parsley sprigs: process just until blended, then add a tablespoon or more each: fresh tarragon, thyme, freshly grated lemon rind, and the juice from that lemon, , a 1/2 stick or so of softened butter and about a teaspoon or less of good celtic sea salt. Process another 30 seconds or so to blend. In the meantime, start a pot of water to boil, and gather a whole head or so of Romaine lettuce. Separate the leaves, but do not tear any further. Brief

Nothing ever really changes: a bunch of rich white guys make a big mess and complain when a black man isn’t cleaning it up fast enough.

A new Chorus America survey shows that there are 10 million MORE adults participating in choral singing in 2009 than in 2003. This is amazing! Here's a great clip from CBS Sunday Morning.....

This out of Iran this week, in the wake of the recent election difficulties. I know that they want to HOPE and CHANGE and CARE for their PEOPLE , just like we do. This is wonderful - pray/meditate on what is happening - in Iran, in the US, in Europe, all over - people are ready, and willing, to change this world for the BETTER!

first - the amazing array of potions and lotions that regulate my body so that I can comfortably inhabit it! These are just the "everyday" items that need application/ingestion for optimal firing of my chi (*life force energy*, Mom!) Yes, there are 2 chewable children's vitamins in there - they help keep me youthful! ... and avoid all the B vitamin issues I get with larger doses :-) Another necessity? Tasty, fresh greens! Here is a recent evening's selection from our garden : Let's see.... chives, dill, romaine, beet-tops, baby bok choy, baby kale - instead of cleaning out the refrigerator, I was thinning out the garden patch!The large-leafed thing towards the upper left, is lovage - somewhat unusual herb (it gets to be 5 -6 feet tall!), but one that I have grown and loved for many years - adds a fresh, celery-like flavor to things :-) See what nice salads we can make? Here's another variation - this one had black beans and feta cheese sprinkled with a lime vi

The movie to see this summer!!! http://foodincmovie.com

Today is our 6th wedding anniversary. I believe that Jon and I have experienced each other over many "lifetimes", and it was a blessing and a sacrament to reaffirm our connection on June 14, 2003. Jon's presence in my life, and the relationship we have created together, is an expression of the deep love that pervades the universe- that "heals" each of us. This love has truly given me strength, fresh eyes, a kinder heart, and new challenges. I thank you, Jon, for being such a blessing to me. When Jonathan, and I "found" each other again, 20 years after having been youthful lovers, we both experienced spontaneous ecstatic union. The sensations of dissolved boundaries, spiritual union, and heightened sensory response carried over to our daily life and flowed through our first several years of marriage. We were beautiful, courageous, and could accomplish anything we set our minds to - we were love and magic personified, vessels pouring out love for the w

According to America's BEST CHRISTIAN, Betty Bowers, it's NOT between a Man and a Man... here's why:

was absolutely lovely! We got cheap air tickets, business was taken care of, dogs were happily sat, the weather was cooperative, and we decided to visit..... After all, June is our Wedding Anniversary month, so we like to do something a bit romantic :-) On Rue Wellington, are all the government buildings - Parliment, The Supreme Court, and so forth - and they all look so beautifully castle-ish! we walked around gawking, salivating, and planning our someday-castle!!! Here is the Rideau Canal - these entrance locks mark the beginning of a 202 kilometer route linking the Ottawa River and Lake Ontario. The series of lakes and rivers made navigable by the locks, channels, and dams was finished in 1832. I had never seen maritime locks in person before - and it was amazing to contemplate the engineering that underlies a canal! Here's an interesting reflection, just as we were at an intersection - note the wildly painted city bus going by!! Of course, we had to drive through Ottawa's C

Ta-Da!!! I finally finished Jon's Very Special Socks... Ravelry Pattern by Jen Showater of Mean Girl Design. Jonathan has very specific sock likes and dislikes, which made it important to be picky about every tiny detail. Which meant that I frogged a few times (see picture of the unraveling!) First, he has rather longer first toes, so the socks must have pointy toes. He likes having a single stripe of contrast color at the base of the toes. He prefers to have the fabric snuggle up to his arches, rather than bagg about. And he does not wear brightly colored socks. So, he got 3 out of four requests... he he he ! This is yarn from the big China yarn adventure of a few months ago. Translations of the label indicate that it's a superwash 80/20 blend of wool and some sort of acrylic fiber. It's actually a twist of cherry red and a pink - it "reads red" but there's a bit of subtlety in there :-) Most importantly, Zuzu approves! Just this weekend, we got to go to S