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!