Local Gringos: Postmodern Pioneers

Gotcha, Wiley Coyote!

2012-01-30T15:35:00.001-07:00

Living in the near-wild as we do, backed up to the Sandia National Forest, we hear and sometimes see a lot of wildlife. Specifically, a lot of coyotes.

Our goal is to avoid conflict with these coyotes, and to protect our dogs. The foundation of our plan is to “know thy enemy”. So last week we purchased and installed a wildlife surveillance camera.

Here’s our first capture:

That’s right, it’s the infamous Wild Weimaraner. *sigh*

We’ve got lots more photos like this one of our dog … and several of our cars … and of us changing the storage card, etc.

It wasn’t until last night that we got this one:

Yep, that’s a coyote!

At the bottom of the frame you'll see that he cruised by last night about 11:30 pm - the camera automatically records the date, time, temperature and even the moon phase of each photo. (We love this camera: it’s a Primos TruthCam 46.)

But because the nighttime shots are infrared, the detail isn't great. I've edited the photo to brighten & sharpen it, but I still can't tell what he's got in his mouth - and not sure I want to know anyway - it looks like a femur!

Stay tuned for more as we catch them!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Cream for Knitters
Sandia Park, NM

The Dogs Ate My Car. Seriously.

2011-09-24T18:24:00.001-06:00

I own 3 large & normally well-behaved dogs. This afternoon I put them outside while I mopped the floors.

After 30 minutes or so I heard them yipping - sounded as if they'd gotten themselves stuck in something. I went out to discover they'd apparently cornered something under my car in the driveway. But I couldn't see anything there.

So I put the dogs in the house and got down on my hands & knees to look, but still couldn't find anything underneath the car. Then I opened the hood and there was a terrified squirrel, hissing and squalling and scrambling and clawing all over the engine.

I jumped back, and that is when I saw what the dogs had done to the car trying to get the squirrel out.

They pulled out the wheel well liner entirely, and chewed up the whole front quarter panel of the car. It's all plastic, right, so they literally ate it. I mean, pieces are chewed off, bite marks & scratches everywhere. The damage is amazing. b

Here are some samples of their work:

My question is, does anyone know if auto insurance normally covers something like this? Should I say it was a bear? I phoned home to ask my dad but he can't stop laughing long enough to answer me!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Cream for Knitters
Sandia Park, NM

Leon Russell Live at Albuquerque BioPark 5.13.11

2011-05-14T11:35:00.001-06:00

I couldn’t have been happier to see Leon Russell’s concert last night at Albuquerque’s BioPark – only in part because we’d won the $25 tickets (thank you, LocalIQ).

The Albuquerque BioPark & Zoo is a lovely place for a show, a small grassy patch of lawn shaded by towering cottonwoods. The spooky screams of the zoo’s tropical macaws, and the odd ducks who flew overhead and around the stage throughout the evening, added the sort of special effects that put the “quirky” in Albuquerque living.

I could have asked for better sound and sightlines, but I couldn’t have asked for better music, or a prettier moonlit night. And I felt completely at home in the laid-back crowd of 2,000-some hippies-turned-grandparents. Ah, them are my people. Russell himself turned 69 last month, making him a year younger than Eric Burdon, but a year older than Keith Richards, imagine that.

Leon opened with Delta Lady, and his set list hit all the sweet spots - Hummingbird, Back to the Island, Tight Rope, Roll in My Sweet Baby’s Arms and Stranger in a Strange Land – but dang, he left out Young Blood. So my favorites of the evening were A Song for You – of course, Leon’s singer-songwriter best – and his cover of Dylan’s A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall.

Between numbers Leon shared anecdotes that I didn’t mind hearing again: how at 14 he built a crystal radio set that picked up only one station out there in Oklahoma – blues & gospel. How at 17 he traveled to Los Angeles, intending to get a job in advertising (“That’s a bloody business”); instead, he became a session musician and “the hillbilly of the moment” in a place and time that “thought a lot of hillbilly music, for some reason.”

And perhaps my favorite story, how he got that green silk top hat from Gram Parsons (then with the Flying Burrito Brothers) just before he left for Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen 1970 tour. After road wear reduced the hat to near tatters, he discovered that it had originally belonged to Al Jolson, who wore it filming The Jazz Singer.

Introducing Hard Rain, Leon casually dropped a bombshell: he’s currently working out a set of 15 tour dates with Dylan this August. Looking at Leon’s already-scheduled 2011 tour dates, August will have him hopping between upstate New York, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and (one of my favorite Time & Places) Sturgis South Dakota for the 2011 Harley Rally.

He’s scheduled to play Sturgis on August 13 at the legendary Buffalo Chip as part of the American Thunder Music Festival Aug 6-13. Other festival acts include George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Jeff Bridges and friends, Lynyrd Skynyrd (that’ll be a riot), Toby Keith and Alice Cooper (performing separately, not together). Now, can you imagine if Dylan were added to the line-up? Whoa.

Here are some Leon links to brighten your day:

The Union by Elton John and Leon Russell, and produced by T Bone Burnett (“making of “video directed by Cameron Crowe)
Trouble in Mind - Leon Russell, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson (YouTube video)
Leon Russell-"Stranger In A Strange Land" (YouTube video)
A SONG FOR YOU - Leon Russell & Friends (1971) Excerpt from the Homewood Sessions
Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishment (tour movie)
Willie Nelson and Friends - Live & Kickin' Starring Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Leon Russell and Steven Tyler (no kidding)

So, happy birthday to the Master of Space and Time. Congratulations on your long overdue induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And thanks for a lovely evening.

Peace,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Margarita Chicken Recipe

2011-05-05T13:06:00.001-06:00

I whipped this up last night, and it was delicious! Since it’s still a little cool outside for grilling – up here in the high mountain desert, that is - I baked my marinated chicken in the oven.

Margarita Chicken

I adapted this from “Mexican Tequila Marinade”, a recipe in the Marinades & Rubs cookbook by Carol Wilson.

Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup tequila
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder

1 to 2 pounds of chicken pieces (I like leg/thigh quarters)
1 to 2 tablespoons of coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling

Thoroughly whisk marinade ingredients in bowl or measuring cup (not metal). Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes so flavors will meld.

Trim fat from chicken pieces, then place in shallow baking dish (not metal) or plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken, turning to coat.

Seal or cover, and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but no more than 3 hours.

Transfer chicken pieces to a non-metal baking dish – if you haven’t already – along with the marinade. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with coarse salt, if desired.

(I really like this crunchy seasoning on the baked chicken skin, reminds me of the salty rim of a margarita glass. If you don’t, just add 1 teaspoon of table salt to the marinade, and skip the sprinkling.)

Bake chicken pieces along with the marinade, uncovered, in preheated 375-degree oven for 55 minutes or until done.

(Note: this cooking time is for my altitude of 7,000 feet; at sea level, check for doneness after 50 minutes.)

Serving suggestions: Great served simply, with plain white or coconut rice drizzled with pan juices, black beans, and a green salad.

Grilling: This is fantastic on the grill when weather permits. Add 1 teaspoon table salt to the marinade & skip the coarse salt sprinkle. Then, instead of baking your chicken in its marinade, drain the marinade into a small saucepan & boil vigorously for 5 minutes. Drizzle over the grilled chicken at serving time.

Seafood: It’s an equally good marinade for seafood, especially shrimp or scallops. Marinate seafood in the fridge for only 30 minutes. Any longer and the lime juice will “cook” the seafood!

¡Buen provecho!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Hugs, Kisses & FREE SHIPPING from Happy Hands Hand Cream

2011-03-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

I’ve just sent a coupon for free US shipping to all my Happy Hands hand cream fans who’re signed up for my mailing list.

Would you like a free US shipping coupon too? You can join my fan list to get one for yourself. But hurry, this coupon ends April 4!

And if you’re outside the USA, sign up and stay tuned for a new coupon especially for international orders.

Don’t worry: I don’t spam, and I don’t share your email address with anyone. Ever. And it’s as easy to un-join as it is to sign up, should you tire of my mailings.

Even though this offer ends soon, you can join my list anytime to get my latest special offer to members. It might be a coupon like this one, or it might be free samples of a new scent, or a members-only sale. Always a goodie!

For those of you new to Happy Hands, I hand-blend this unique hand cream for knitters, crocheters and fiber artists from shea butter, goats milk, honey and aloe.

It’s non-greasy, and won’t transfer to your handiwork, which means it’s great not only for knitters, but also scrapbookers, rubber stampers, jewelry makers … anyone who works with her hands!

I offer Happy Hands hand cream in 25 different scents, plus Unscented, in my Happy Hands Store.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

New from ABQ Library: Borrow a Kill A Watt!

2011-03-28T10:51:00.000-06:00

Y’all know what an *enthusiastic* supporter I am of our local Albuquerque / Bernalillo County Library system. If you ever want to see something government is doing right (with the help of volunteers of course), look to your local library!

The newest service from our ABC library system is … drumroll … if you have a library card, you can borrow a Kill-a-Watt home electricity monitor!

Plug the Kill-a-Watt into the wall, then plug your appliances or electronic equipment into the Kill-a-Watt. It will give you a read-out showing how much electricity your item uses, and an estimate of how much it’s costing you to run it.

Hats off to PNM, too, who donated these devices to the library system.

Not a resident of New Mexico? Chances are your local library offers Kill-a-Watt borrowing too. Call ‘em, and check one out!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Importing Audiobooks from CD to iTunes 10

2011-03-21T17:08:00.001-06:00

I love borrowing audiobooks on CD from my local public library, but I hate how complicated it can be to transfer them onto my iPod Touch for listening.

Because iTunes assumes that any CD I try to import is a music CD, the handling of audiobooks on CD gets messy. An audiobook imported as “music” shows up in the Music category of iTunes, each audio track as a separate item, subject to shuffling, and without bookmarks.

There are a number of resources on the Internet giving instructions for handling this problem, but I’ve worked out my own procedure using Windows & iTunes 10 that’s relatively fast and easy, and thought I’d document it here – for my own reference, and in case it’s helpful to anyone else struggling with this thorny issue.

Before You Start

Launch iTunes.
Pull down the Edit menu and choose Preferences, then make these two selections:
When you insert a CD: Show CD (not automatically import)
Import Settings: chose AAC Encoder (default) & Spoken Podcast (32 kbpps mono/64 kbpps stereo).

Import the CD

Insert the first audiobook CD into your disk drive.
In iTunes, select all the tracks shown, by clicking on the first track and Shift+clicking on the last track.
Pull down the Advanced menu and choose Join CD Tracks. This groups all the individual tracks on the disc into one unit – much better!
With the tracks still selected, right-click and choose Get Info. Enter an Album title using the book title and the disc number.

For example, type an album title like The Sugar House 01 or Sugar House Disc 01. Whatever you choose for the album title, use it consistently across all the discs of the audiobook so they’ll sort properly in iTunes.

Now click the Import CD button.

After the Import

At this point iTunes has imported the audiobook disc as one big track, but it’s still in the Music category of your iTunes Library, not yet associated with your other audio Books. You can fix this after the disc has been imported into iTunes.

Locate the disc you just imported, in the Music category of your iTunes Library.
Click the right mouse button and choose Get Info again.
On the Options tab, click Media Kind and choose Audiobook.
Also on the Options tab, click to enable Remember Playback Position (your bookmark) and Skip When Shuffling.
Optional: if you want to assign artwork to the audiobook files, click the Artwork tab and upload a pretty picture.
Click OK when you’re done.

Now the first file of the audiobook is moved into the Book category of your iTunes library.

Your Import Preferences will be remembered, so all you have to do is repeat the Import the CD and After the Import steps for each disc of your audiobook.

When you’re finished you’ll have one “book” file in your iTunes Books library for each disc of the audiobook. If you’d rather have a real audiobook with just one or two files, you’ll have to use additional software like Chapter and Verse to consolidate the files. I don’t bother with this for audiobooks I’ve borrowed from the library, but I would do it if I owned the audiobook.

And don’t forget to delete the audiobook files when your library loan period is up!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

What’s for Dinner? Maple-glazed Sweet Potato Wedges (recipe)

2011-02-23T10:19:00.001-07:00

I love it when this happens: my mom emailed me this recipe in the nick of time for dinner last night … AND, I had all the ingredients on hand. Woohoo, score!

These were delicious. Family and houseguests ended up squabbling over the last few bits in the pan, a sure test of appeal.

Here’s the original recipe:

Maple-glazed Sweet Potato Wedges

3 sweet potatoes, about 1-1/2 lbs
2 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Cut the sweet potatoes lengthwise into uniform wedges, about 1 in. wide. Whisk together the other ingredients, then add the potatoes and toss to coat.

Arrange wedges in a single layer in a roasting pan, or on a baking sheet and drizzle with any maple syrup mixture remaining in the bowl.

Roast 20 min. at 450. Remove pan from oven, and carefully turn wedges over. Continue roasting until fork tender, about 15 min. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve warm.

My modifications:

Our rosemary plant froze to death during this month’s Arctic cold snap, so I used dried rosemary, in the same quantity because I really like rosemary. Then I also added 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. I love the combination of sweet & hot.

I planned to cook these at the same time & at the same 375 degree oven temp as my chicken pieces. So I cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4” thick slices instead of 1” thick wedges, so they’d cook faster. I took them out after 45 minutes when they were thoroughly cooked & starting to blacken just a bit around the edges. Yum.

Addendum

Do you know the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? Kind of a trick question, but this article from Self spells out the nutritional data.
I always use the darker “Grade B” maple syrup for dishes like this. It’s too strong for pancakes, but adds more flavor to baked goods, including breads.

Bon appetit!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Blast from the Past: Pressure Cooking

2010-10-04T15:15:00.000-06:00

I know, I say “pressure cooker” and you think (1) dangerous explosions, and/or (2) gray, flabby, over-cooked food.

It’s true, I witnessed a spectacular pressure cooker explosion back in 1968. Aunt Dee left me and my cousin Judy home alone, with vague instructions to “watch the pressure cooker”.

What’s to watch? We watched cartoons instead. Two hours later the pressure cooker went “BOOM”! We ran into the kitchen to find it had blown its lid, bashing a cantaloupe-sized hole in the ceiling and splattering green beans all over the walls.

Judy & I were in deep doo-doo for that one.

So I never considered trying a pressure cooker myself, until I moved up here to the high mountain desert. At 7,000 feet we have some unusual cooking “challenges” – my worst one being that I couldn’t cook beans. Seriously! I could not make a decent pot of beans up here.

My neighbors all advised pressure cooking to solve the high-altitude bean problem. And that’s when I discovered that “modern” pressure cookers are vastly improved over my Aunt Dee’s mid-century model. They’re electric, they’re digital, and they promise explosion-proof operation.

Okay … I decided to try pressure cooking.

After reading the reviews I purchased a Cuisinart CPC-600 1000-Watt 6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, shown here.

I’ve used it for almost a year now. And I have to say, this was probably my best purchase of 2010.

Top 5 Reasons to ♥ Electric Pressure Cookers

1. Dang, they’re fast! I’m talking 10-minute potato soup (although that project did make milk come out its nose), or a 40-minute brisket for 8.

2. They’re programmable. Punch in your settings and walk away (cartoons, anyone?). You don’t have to “watch” them, or adjust the heat, or anything. When the cooking cycle ends, they’ll automatically switch over to Keep Warm mode.

3. Yes, a pressure cooker IS the best way to cook beans. No, repeat NO, pre-soaking needed. And you can season the beans during cooking, even add a little salt, and they’ll STILL cook up beautifully.

4. They don’t heat up the kitchen. This past summer was the hottest of the century, so I really, really appreciated not having to turn on the oven, or even the stove burners, for weeks on end.

5. They don’t use a lot of juice. It’s about the same wattage as a hair dryer, and the actual cooking time is short, so the energy consumption is way less than a standard oven, or even a slow cooker.

Plus there are serendipitous benefits. For example, I’ve discovered that my electric pressure cooker makes the best stocks imaginable – chicken, beef, pork, vegetable, whatever. And it’s now my go-to method for ribs: cook ‘em with pressure, finish them on the grill.

Best Pressure Cooker Cookbooks

I’ve since acquired a number of pressure cooker cookbooks, and of them all I recommend two to get you started:

Victoria Wise’s Pressure Cooker Gourmet

From the first chef at Chez Panisse, this book is all you need to convince unbelievers that you can cook delicious food in a pressure cooker. (I started with her Brined Pork Roast & Figs, a revelation.)

This one’s also available in a Kindle edition.

Any of Lorna Sass’s pressure cooking cookbooks are great to have on hand, but I especially like her Pressure Perfect: Two Hour Taste in Twenty Minutes Using Your Pressure Cooker. Her substitution charts are pure gold when it’s time to convert your favorite traditional recipes to the pressure cooker.

Bon appetit!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Mad at Apple–iPod Touch Battery Drain

2010-09-13T15:57:00.000-06:00

Well well, looks as if the latest OS update to my iPod Touch included a battery killer.

Before the update, my Touch battery would easily run all night, with at least a 50% charge left in the morning.

Since I downloaded & installed the iOS 4 update last month, the battery can’t make it through the night. I wake up to a completely drained battery, a dead-in-the-water iPod, and … no alarm.

Scrounged around on the net & found this cNet report on the battery drain issue. Glad to know it’s not just me, or my iPod, it’s caused by changes Apple made to the OS.

Sigh.

So now I’m keeping my Touch in Airplane mode. I only turn on WiFi when I actually need to check email, then try to remember to turn it back off again as soon as I’m done.

This at least keeps my Touch alive overnight, but the battery life still isn’t anywhere near what it was before iOS 4. As in, maybe 2 days intermittent usage as opposed to the 4 or 5 days I used to get.

Thanks a lot, Apple!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Belize City Attorney Gunned Down

2010-06-14T10:16:00.000-06:00

I was horrified and saddened to learn that a prominent Belize City attorney of my acquaintance, Rodwell Williams, S.C, was ambushed and gunned down in a Belize City parking lot near his law office at 8 pm on Monday, May 31.

Two Belize City men were charged with the assault, Ricky Valencia, 27, and Akeem Thurton, 18. The attack is widely rumored to have been a “contract hit” paid for by a Belize City businessman recently defeated in court by Mr. Williams.

Mr. Williams was initially treated at a Belize City hospital for a single shotgun blast to the abdomen, and was later transferred to a Miami, Florida hospital where he is recovering.

Mr. Williams, Senior Counsel and law partner of Belize’s Prime Minister Dean Barrow, had been previously attacked on April 15, when a “projectile” was fired through the windows of the Barrow & Williams law office at 99 Albert Street in Belize City.

This latest armed assault is just one of more than 100 reported shootings in Belize City this year, where the death toll climbed to 30 as of August, 2010. According to The Economist, as reported on Belize’s Channel 5 News, “Belize is the world’s murder hotspot”, with a 2009 death rate of 32.7 per 100,000 persons country-wide.

The Campaign to Stop Human Trafficking in Belize confirms that relative to its size and population, Belize outranks all nations in murder. “The latest statistics show Belize with 97 murders for a population of 320,000. To put that into perspective, metro Toronto has 41 murders for the same period, but for a population of 2.4 million people.”

While violent crime statistics are higher in Belize City than in the rest of the country, crime throughout Belize has steadily risen over the past two years, says the Overseas Security Advisory Council.

“Major crimes in Belize (murder, rape, robbery, burglary, theft) increased in 2008 by 8.1 percent from 2007. The murder rate within Belize has continued to increase on an annual basis by five percent since 2003; the number of murders in 2008 (103 homicides) has now more than doubled those reported in 2000 (47 homicides) and represents a nationwide murder rate of 34 per 100,000 persons.”

Links:

Rodwell Williams Shot, Amandala, June 1, 2010

Rodwell Williams SC shot in street attack, The [Belize] Reporter, June 4, 2010

Two charged in shooting of Attorney Rodwell Williams, The Guardian, June 10, 2010

Belize is world murder capital, Belize Channel 5 News, September 7, 2009

Canadians Boycott Belize Tourism, Murder Capital of the World, Betty Phillips, July 23, 2010

Belize 2009 Crime & Safety Report, Overseas Security Advisory Council, August 17, 2009

Derby Duck! My Favorite Roast Duck Recipe, That Is

2010-05-01T22:57:00.004-06:00

Well, we didn't have a Kentucky Derby party this year, but we did have a Derby duck.

Not exactly traditional, nary a mint julep in sight, but festive all the same!

When we find duck at a nice price - in Albuquerque usually at TaLin Market - we love this recipe for "Roast Duck with Honey-Chili Glaze". It's delicious, easy to follow, uses ingredients I almost always have on hand, and seems foolproof.

I originally got the recipe as a magazine clipping from my mom, so I have no idea who wrote it, or even what magazine printed it. My little clipping is now creased and stained, and I just know I'll lose it eventually. And of course I've made some minor modifications over the years ... so I thought I'd share it here. That way I can always find it, and there's also a chance someone will recognize it - I'd like to give full credit!

Roast Duck with Honey-Chili Glaze

One 4-lb duck

Rub Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 T. fresh, minced)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Glaze Ingredients:
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup dark rum

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place a V-shaped roasting rack - I like the 13x10" Norpro rack shown at left - in a roasting pan with sides at least 2" deep.

Wash and drain duck, removing neck and giblets for another use.

In a small bowl, combine rub ingredients. Rub duck with the mixture, inside and out. Cover wing tips with foil to prevent burning. Put duck, breast side up, in rack and roast for 20 minutes.

Dial back the oven to 350 degrees F and roast 45 minutes more.

Remove duck from oven (leave oven on), remove foil from wing tips, and let duck rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Pour off hot duck fat.

In a small bowl combine glaze ingredients. Baste duck with glaze mixture, then return bird to oven. Roast 15 minutes more, brushing with glaze every 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes before carving.

* * * * *

The recipe's author is obviously a health-conscious saint, tossing out all that rendered duck fat. Not me! I keep it in the fridge for future roast potatoes or hash browns, because potatoes sizzled in duck fat are sublime. In fact, I usually roast some quartered Yukon golds along with this duck, tucked around the edges of the roasting pan. Bliss!

Also: you can make a faaabulous stock from the duck carcass and neck. I freeze the stock for my next batch of gumbo.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Foster Dog Graduation Day

2010-03-26T08:22:00.001-06:00

Today’s the big day for our one-year-old foster dog Mork: he’s ready for adoption!

What a sweetheart he is. And he’s made great progress during his stay with us.

When he first arrived, he couldn’t even climb stairs. Now he races up and down the yard for the sheer joy of running, and he can jump two feet up onto the back deck.

He gets along with all our dogs, and even the cats. With his happy personality, I think he’ll fit right in with any pet household.

So, this morning he has an appointment with the groomer to make him all sleek & shiny. Then it’s show time!

We don’t know yet whether he’ll be at Animal Humane’s “Main Campus” (615 Virginia St SE, 505-255-5523) or their new Adoption Center (9132 Montgomery Blvd NE, 505-323-PETS).

Either way, the foster coordinator is sure he’ll be adopted right away, he’s that cute.

If you’re looking for him, remember, his shelter name is actually “Angelo”. We’ve just been calling him Mork.

Animal Humane of Albuquerque is located at 615 Virginia Street SE, and their main phone number is 255-5523. Their Adoptions Department is open 7 days a week from 10:00am-6:00pm (but closed for the lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm). Their website ishttp://animalhumanenm.org .

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Speak Up on Health Care Reform!

2010-03-22T12:08:00.001-06:00

"We proved that we are still a people capable of doing big things."
--President Obama

I have been most bitterly annoyed by the series of TV commercials run on my local channels bashing the Congressional health care reform efforts. Many of these advertisements were sponsored by “fronts” for the insurance companies, and I find all of them deceptive and inflammatory.

According to CNN, over $57 million has been spent on advertising that tries to influence the health care debate. And remember, a lot of this money comes from the insurance premiums we pay now.

The average American pays over $1,000 per month for employer-sponsored health insurance, and as much as 1/3 of that goes to “administrative fees”, which includes advertising. I think that’s obscene.

So I was even more annoyed this morning to hear Sen. John McCain opine that Americans oppose health care reform 2-to-1. He failed to cite a source for his estimate.

I don’t believe it’s true, but if it is, then I think it’s important that all of us who do support health care reform take a moment to express our support to our representatives in Congress.

I am proud to say that both New Mexico Senators, Senator Jeff Bingaman and Senator Tom Udall, support health care reform. And my District 3 representative, Congressman Ben R. Luján, voted for it last night.

I have written all three to express my support.

If you don’t know who your representative is, or don’t know how to contact them, it’s easy to find out. Visit the following website, enter your zip code, and you’ll get the names and contact links for your Representative and your Senators:

http://whoismyrepresentative.com

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists

P.S. Wondering what the immediate benefits of the health care reform bill will be? After President Obama signs the bill, these 10 changes take effect immediately [source]:

No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage.
Free preventative care for all.
Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states. Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay.
Children will be able to stay on their parents’ health insurance until their 27th birthdays.
No child under 19 will be excluded from plans because of preexisting conditions.
Adults with preexisting conditions will be able to start shopping online for a plan in a national high-risk pool while waiting for insurance exchanges to get started.
Small businesses can deduct as much as 50 percent of employees’ health benefits for tax purposes in 2009 and 2010.
It will fill in the “donut hole” of Medicare prescription drug coverage with a rebate.
Insurers will have to post their balance sheets online, listing administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments.
And you can no longer be dropped from your insurance plan just because you get sick.

Snow Day at Sedillo Hill 03/15/10

2010-03-15T11:18:00.001-06:00

We’re always amused when Albuquerque TV reporters set up their cameras on Sedillo Hill – our highway exit – to report on snow storms. They’re always kitted out for an Everest ascent!

But of course we do get considerably more snow than down in Albuquerque. Here are the results of last night’s snowfall …

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
(Sedillo Hill), NM

Meet Mork! Our New Foster Puppy

2010-03-13T10:09:00.001-07:00

This week we received a new foster from Animal Humane of Albuquerque, a rescued one-year-old, 8-pound male dog that they think is probably a Maltese-Yorkshire cross.

His shelter name is Angelo, but we’re calling him Mork. Doesn’t he look like a “Mork”?

Mork is a brave little guy: he was only a little alarmed by our resident household of four 70 – 140 pound dogs, and is intrigued by our 5 cats (4 of whom are also bigger than he is).

He loves sitting in the sun on the front porch, and for inscrutable reasons of his own hates inkjet printers, barking at each document as it prints out. It’s the only time he barks, I’m happy to say he’s not a yappy dog at all.

He’s recovering nicely from his little operation two days ago, and working hard on the finer points of house-training. Our coordinator at AHA believes he’ll be ready for adoption in about two weeks!

Animal Humane of Albuquerque is located at 615 Virginia Street SE, and their main phone number is 255-5523.

Their Adoptions Department is open 7 days a week from 10:00am-6:00pm (but closed for the lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm). Their website is http://animalhumanenm.org .

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Quarreling with Qwest Over the “Digital Divide” in New Mexico

2010-03-11T13:15:00.001-07:00

Our local TV news station, KOB-TV, reported last night that $10 million in federal stimulus money will be used to bring broadband Internet service to rural residents of the Penasco Valley in southeastern New Mexico, a service area of approximately 4,700 square miles.

While I’m happy for – and envious of – my fellow rural New Mexicans who’ll finally get high-speed Internet, I bitterly resent that we American taxpayers are footing this bill on behalf of Qwest, the telecommunications giant which holds a virtual monopoly over most of the state of New Mexico.

Ten years ago Qwest was awarded this monopoly, and in return agreed to spend $788M to upgrade New Mexico’s rural telecommunication infrastructure, including high-speed Internet access.

A decade later, Qwest has failed to honor this commitment, with more than $200M in upgrades unperformed, amounting to more than 25% of their contractual obligation. And outside of the metropolitan areas of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Qwest has simply not provided high-speed Internet access.

“As a state, New Mexico sadly falls towards the bottom of the list” of Internet availability in the US, says Senator Tom Udall. [full text here]

The arithmetic seems simple: Qwest owes us 20 times the amount of this $10M federal stimulus grant. Were Qwest to honor its contract, at this rate broadband Internet could be provided to over 94,000 square miles of rural New Mexico (remember, the entire state is only 121,593 square miles). Then these ten million US tax dollars could be spent on other equally urgent projects in New Mexico.

I live in the East Mountains, a semi-rural area only 20 miles east of Albuquerque, our largest city. But I cannot obtain high-speed Internet from Qwest. All Qwest offers us is dial-up. As Comcast does not offer us cable service, either, I pay almost four times the national average to access the Internet.

Of course, even if we could get Qwest’s Internet service, I’m not sure we’d want it at the service level Qwest provides New Mexicans. In state, Qwest is notorious for outages like last December’s multi-day, multi-county lapse, for example. This failure, the third in three months, was traced to one of Qwest’s DSL DS3 circuits, known as a “big pipe”. DS3 big pipe failures like these “almost never happen in other Qwest states,” according to Jane Hill, president of CyberMesa, a Santa Fe telecom reseller who depends on Qwest’s big pipes for her livelihood. “The lack of Qwest investment in home phone lines and major circuits is taking its toll on the New Mexico economy and on future investment in the State.” [full text here]

Of course there are those who argue that Americans who choose to live in rural areas simply don’t deserve high-speed Internet service, as does the author of the Errors of Enchantment blog. Perhaps he’s right; and perhaps we don’t deserve electricity, either. Maybe we should all move to Albuquerque, leaving the crude oil, natural gas, cattle, goats, apples, pecans and chile peppers to tend and harvest themselves.

“Deployment of broadband supports job creation and rural economic development," says US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, “opening new opportunities not only for homes and businesses, but for community institutions such as health facilities, libraries, public buildings and community centers." [full text here]

So you’d think in a state that just posted the highest unemployment rate increase in the nation, access to high-speed Internet would be a top priority for our elected officials. Not so. In our last legislative session, two pro-Qwest / anti-consumer bills were introduced and only narrowly defeated; quoting NM Public Regulation Commissioner Jason Marks,

“SB 37 [sponsored by Sen. Carlos Cisneros] was a fast-track to complete deregulation of Qwest prices, service quality, and in-state investments; and HB 107 [sponsored by Rep. Roberto Gonzales] was a cleverly disguised, unjustified rate increase for Qwest, Windstream, and the rural monopoly telephone companies.” [full text here]

Qwest’s decade of performance in New Mexico under regulatory constraint has been abysmal; can you imagine how bad it would get if it were completely deregulated, as Senator Cisneros proposed?

While Qwest continues to seek rate increases - both openly acknowledged rate increases and hidden price hikes, as in the case of HB 107 - it has failed to provide service to rural New Mexicans, and at the same time reduced its costs by reducing service quality, refusing to expand service areas and laying off employees.

Rather than rubber-stamping the price hikes and deregulation demands issued by Qwest’s lobbyists, it's time for our legislature and Public Regulatory Commission to hold Qwest's feet to the fire. Obviously Qwest must be forced to deliver the $200 million dollars’ worth of telecommunications upgrades it contracted to provide over a decade ago.

How else can the rural citizens of New Mexico ever hope to bridge the "digital divide"?

Info Update for Sandia Stitch ‘n Time

2010-02-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Our Sandia Stitch ‘n Time needlework group – not just for knitters, but also crochet-ers and cross-stitchers and needleworkers of all sorts - meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month at the East Mountain Library, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Upcoming meetings are scheduled for March 13 and March 27.

I’ve moved our schedule updates and postings from my old website to my new Facebook business page, www.Facebook.com/kNotesforKnitters .

You don’t have to be a member of Facebook to see this page! But if you are a Facebook user, click the “Fan” button and you’ll get meeting updates automatically.

Map of East Mountain Library location in Tijeras, NM:

For more information about other programs at the East Mountain Library (1 Old Tijeras Rd, Tijeras, NM 87059) in Tijeras, including hours and directions, call (505) 281-8508 or 311; TTY users call Relay NM or 711; or visit the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library website atwww.cabq.gov/library.

Hope to see you there,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Quick Fix for Canon Pixma ip1500

2010-01-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d share this quick tip for resetting your Canon Pixma ip1500 printer.

Mine occasionally refuses to power up, especially after a power outage, and I’ve found this weird little routine that will fix it:

How To Re-set a Canon Pixma Printer

Unplug the power cord.
Open front of printer.
Hold down the Power button.
Plug in printer (still holding down Power button).
Close the printer cover (still holding down Power button).
Now release the Power button.

Awkward, yes? But effective!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

What’s for Dinner"? Emeril’s Boudin with Jambalaya Grits

2010-01-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

First let me confess that although I love both Cajun & Creole food, I was never all that fond of jambalaya. (I prefer Étouffée.) Guess that means I’d just never had a good recipe for jambalaya? So I was thrilled to find Emeril Lagasse’s Boudin with Jambalaya Grits recipe on the Food Network site.

Not only did Emeril’s recipe sound quicker than Étouffée, it sounded equally tasty. I’d never thought of making jambalaya with grits instead of rice; I do dearly love grits. And I didn’t mind skipping the roux.

So I made this recipe and we absolutely loved it, but I want to note some caveats, quibbles and modifications here.

1. First of all, it’s going to take most home cooks way more than 30 minutes to get this dish on the table. There’s a lot o’ chopping involved, but also I think there’s a problem with the instructions. If you’ve ever cooked real grits, by which I mean stoneground grits rather than instant grits, you know for darn sure they ain’t gonna cook “tender and creamy” in the 4 to 5 minutes Emeril advises.

He fails to specify “instant” grits in his recipe, but by golly that’s what he means. Shame on him, instant grits are an abomination. If you actually own a box, throw it out or feed it to the dogs. If you can’t find stoneground grits in your local grocery stores – that’s certainly a challenge here in New Mexico – then you can get them online. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.

Once you’ve got real grits, adjust your cooking time in this step to about 25 minutes.

2. Emeril calls for 1 cup veal reduction. Aw, c’mon! If you seriously want to pursue this, Epicurean.com has a recipe for veal reduction; just add 9 hours to your cooking time.

However, not having a ready supply of veal reduction doesn’t mean you should just skip it. That meaty flavor adds a lot to the finished dish, which I think would otherwise backslide into the bland register. Instead, I substituted a cup of good homemade beef stock, brought it to a boil with the milk, and dropped in 3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes. Perfect.

3. I did try poaching then pan-searing the boudin. I think this was pretty much a waste of time. Since you don’t eat the casing, why sear it? (Unless it’s because it looks so nekkid without a little browning, but do you care, really?) I got equally good results by microwaving the boudin, piercing the casing first to prevent explosions. You can deduct 15 minutes from your cooking time, and have 2 fewer pots to wash.

4. And no, I didn’t bother to make Emeril's ESSENCE “Bayou Blast” Creole Seasoning. Making it from scratch would add another 15 minutes to your prep time.

But you do need Cajun or Creole seasoning of some sort; use whatever you’ve got.

My personal favorite is Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning, shown here. And I can even buy this in New Mexico.

5. And my last quibble: what’s up with the “Spoon the sauce over the sausage and serve” direction? What sauce? Maybe it’s just me, but I didn’t find any sauce in that recipe. Fortunately, we didn’t miss it.

But hey, it was delicious and I’d certainly make it again, even for company. Thanks, Emeril, this one’s a keeper!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Creator, Happy Hands Hand Creams for Fiber Artists
Sandia Park, NM

Great American Road Trip, Day 2

2009-08-05T08:07:00.004-06:00

We decided to make an easier day today, driving from Salt Lake City only as far as Boise. This gave us time for roadside stops, including Shoshone Falls on the Snake River.

Highlights of the day included lunch at Maddox's in Brigham City and our overnight at The Modern Hotel (www.themodernhotel.com) in Boise - now one of my favorite hotels, ever!

Here are some Day 2 pix:

Great American Road Trip, Day 1

2009-08-04T09:04:00.006-06:00

How exciting! I'm spending my birthday driving to Portland, Oregon to attend Sock Summit!

We left Albuquerque yesterday morning, and 14-1/2 (grueling) hours later, arrived in Salt Lake City. Yes, it was a tough drive, but I didn't realize that Utah was so beautiful! We drove up through Blanding, Monticello and the Fishkill National Forest.

Unfortunately, by the time we got to the most beautiful parts, I was too tired to take many pictures. But I did take a lot of windshield shots earlier in the day, during the Gallup -> Four Corners -> Moab portions of the trip.

The wireless internet here at the Salt Lake Days Inn isn't the greatest, but I'll see if I can upload some pix ...

Um, is this a rattlesnake?

2009-07-02T12:47:00.001-06:00

Oh dear, never a dull moment up here in the East Mountains. I discovered this snake waiting for me at my back door this morning.

I didn't see it when I stepped out the door – it’s actually lying on the threshold of the full-length window NEXT to the door, thank goodness - but one of my dogs went into a whimpering, curtseying dance at the threshold and refused to go out.

Then I heard the rattle ... a sound I'd never heard before, but made my hair stand on end.

The dogs and I ran away; I came back with the camera.

I assume from the sound that this is a rattlesnake? It was about 2 feet long, but only an inch or so in diameter. I’m guessing from the size that if it’s a rattlesnake, it must be a young one.

The weird thing is, the head isn't as strongly wedge-shaped as other pit vipers I've seen (in Belize, not here). You can see its head better in this closer photo, taken from the safety of indoors:

Soooo … is there another kind of snake in New Mexico that makes a warning rattle? Did I actually hear a rattle, or was it just a hiss? It sounded like a rattle, according to my ancient rat brain.

If it is a juvenile rattlesnake, I’ve just read that they’re considered the most dangerous:

Rattlesnakes are born with fully functioning fangs capable of injecting venom and can regulate the amount of venom they inject when biting. Generally they deliver a full dose of venom to their prey, but may deliver less venom or none at all when biting defensively. A frightened or injured snake may not exercise such control. Young snakes are to be considered more dangerous, as they have less control over the amount of venom they inject. [1] A young rattlesnake will often simply inject all its venom, which might be a lethal dose, depending on the bitten animal.

(1) "Venomous Snakes". National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety Topics. Centers for Disease Control.

Aaargh.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

UPDATE: Thanks to the friendly local folks on the Albuquerque City Data Forum, I now believe that this is NOT a rattlesnake, but a bullsnake, which resembles it.

Bullsnakes are NOT venomous, and I’m told should not be killed as they are of no danger to humans and eat large numbers of rodents.

Bullsnakes may vibrate tail when alarm, which may sound like a rattlesnake, also makes a hissing noise. However, they may from time to time get hit over the head with a hoe for doing too effective a job of acting like a rattlesnake.

I feel better already, especially since I didn’t kill it.

3 Kitties Find New Homes!

2009-06-17T13:37:00.001-06:00

I was thrilled to hear that 3 of our 5 foster kitties were adopted at this past weekend’s Animal Humane Adopt-a-thon!

Chubby, Gumdrop and Twinkle Toes have found their forever homes, yay! Thanks so much to the generous people who’ve given them a loving home & secure future.

That means only Buck (male, Animal Humane ID #7198) and Frieda (female, Animal Humane ID #7203) are still waiting for adoption.

Oddly, if I’d been able to pick any of our foster kitties to keep, it would have been these two: Buck for best personality & most playful, and Frieda for her sweet temper & extraordinary good looks.

I think I can understand why Buck might not have been someone’s first choice. He’s a wonderful kitty, but he hates being confined in those display cages.

When we visited him during the Adopt-a-thon, he was yowling and reaching through the bars to snag passers-by. I can see how might have scared off potential new families!

Seriously, once he’s out of the cage he calms down immediately, and returns to his normal fun self. I swear!

But I can’t imagine how Frieda got overlooked! She is the real beauty queen of the bunch, with those wonderful tufted ears & cheeks that make her look like a miniature bobcat.

How could anyone resist this face??

So if you want to make Buck and/or Frieda part of your furry family, please hurry down to rescue them. (We can provide all the baby pictures & video you’d ever want!)

Animal Humane of Albuquerque is located at 615 Virginia Street SE, and their main phone number is 255-5523.

Their Adoptions Department is open 7 days a week from 10:00am-6:00pm (but closed for the lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm). Their website is http://animalhumanenm.org .

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

All 5 Kitties Ready for Adoption!

2009-06-11T14:11:00.001-06:00

Well, the big day is finally here. All five of the kitties have reached their 2-pound weight goal, and this afternoon I am taking them back to Animal Humane.

Tomorrow they’ll be spayed or neutered. Then they’ll be ready to go to their new homes by Saturday! They’ll make their first public appearance at this weekend’s Adopt-a-thon, 10:00am Saturday, June 13th thru 4:00pm Sunday, June 14th, at Central and Carlisle in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque.

Here are their mugshots & ID numbers:

Chubby, female, Animal Humane ID # 7200

Shown here with Gumdrop -->.

Buck, male, Animal Humane ID # 7198

Gumdrop, male, Animal Humane ID #7201
What a prankster!

Frieda, female, Animal Humane ID #7203
The beauty queen, with tufted ears.

Twinkle Toes, male, Animal Humane ID #7204
The ultimate lap cat!

Animal Humane of Albuquerque is located at 615 Virginia Street SE, and their main phone number is 255-5523. Their Adoptions Department is open 7 days a week from 10:00am-6:00pm (but closed for the lunch hour from 12:00pm-1:00pm). Their website is http://animalhumanenm.org .

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

P.S. You can find out more about animal fostering, and see the kittens’ baby pictures, in my previous blog post. Links in my blog sidebar will take you to video of us bottle-feeding them when they were tiny. It’s amazing how much they’ve grown since then!

2 Foster Kittens Ready for Adoption!

2009-06-09T13:58:00.001-06:00

I’m so happy to say that the five kittens we’ve been fostering for Animal Humane of Albuquerque are thriving. All five are healthy, happy, and fully litter-box trained. They’ve been with us 6 weeks, so we assume they’re around 8 weeks old now.

They’ve spent their time socializing with our friends and neighbors, our 4 adult cats, and our 4 really big dogs, so they’re completely comfortable with humans and animals, both.

And two of them have reached their 2-pound weight goal, which means they are ready now to find their “forever homes”!

The two ready to go are “Chubby” and “Buck”. Please note, we didn’t name these kittens – they were given their names on intake at Animal Humane back in April. (Do Chubby a favor, please, and pick a better name for her!)

This is Chubby, a gray and white female with pretty blue-green eyes.

From the beginning, Chubby was the largest and healthiest kitten of our mixed litter of fosters. She has a friendly, outgoing personality, a nice mix of playful and cuddly.

And here’s Buck, a.k.a. Buckaroo: a marmalade tom whose eyes have stayed blue! Oops, you can’t tell that from this photo.

Nor can you tell from this picture what a swashbuckling adventurer Buck is! Fearless and bold, Buck was the first to swat a dog’s nose, and the first to bravely venture into the Land of Upstairs. If you’re looking for a mouser, I think Buck’s your boy!

Buck’s favorite toy is this wicker basket. That’s Twinkletoes in the back.

The week we were asked to foster these kittens, Animal Humane took in more than 100 homeless kittens, all abandoned at approximately the same age. That means that many of them are now ready for adoption, too.

You can see more kitties at Animal Humane’s next Adopt-a-Thon, 10:00am Saturday, June 13th thru 4:00pm Sunday, June 14th, at Central and Carlisle in the Nob Hill area of Albuquerque.

Meanwhile, last week Animal Humane asked if we could keep these sweet kittehs here at our house a while longer while they find homes for the dozen or more in their care right now … which of course we were (secretly) happy to do.

So if you’d like to adopt Chubby or Buck, just drop me a line and I’ll take them in to Animal Humane for you to meet!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Knittin’ n Kittens

2009-06-06T15:13:00.001-06:00

I love weekends. I mean, does it get any better than this?

So here I am, spending some quality time with my knitting (the sleeve of my Sonora Cardigan, RavLink), an audiobook (Twilight series Book 3, Eclipse) and all five foster kittens (from bottom, Buck, Chubby, Gumdrop, Freida and Twinkletoes).

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Update on the Belize Earthquake

2009-06-01T13:51:00.001-06:00

I was concerned to hear that Belize & coastal Honduras were rocked by a 7.1 earthquake in the wee hours of May 28.

While this quake was most destructive in Honduras (just south of Belize), it was felt as far away as Guatemala City. Honduras’ Bay Islands of Roatan and Utila were the closest land to the epicenter; evacuations were reported as far inland as San Pedro Sula.

However, thanks to reports from friends in Belize, including the US Embassy rep for the Northern District, I’m happy to say that although damage in the southern district was wide-spread, no one was killed, and damage in northern Belize was minimal.

Several stilt houses in the southern district collapsed; the water tower in Independence toppled; and electrical power went out from Punta Gorda to Corozal.

Yes, Belize occasionally gets earthquakes, though they’re typically felt more strongly in the southern parts of the country – Placencia, Punta Gorda, Seine Bight, Dangriga – than they are in the northern part where I lived.

I do remember being told of an earthquake years ago, when I was living in San Estevan for the Belize Postclassic archaeology project. Everyone else felt it in the village of San Estevan, in Orange Walk and even out at Lamanai – but I totally slept through the tremor, darn it.

For those of you looking for news of this most recent quake, which was followed on May 30 by a smaller 4.6 trembler, epicentered in roughly the same offshore spot, here are some links:

The USGS map of the May 28 quake, measured at 7.3, centered about 80 miles off the coast of Belize & Honduras.
The USGS map of the May 30 quake, measured at 4.6.
A tsunami watch for coastal Belize and Honduras was posted on May 28, but cancelled without incident on May 29.
Funny first-hand account from “As the Coconuts Drop” blog, written by a resident of Maya Beach, in southernmost Belize. Titled GRAB SUMPTIN AND HOLD ON,,,,! or, DID THE EARTH MOVE FOR YOU TOO? Updated with photos.
Another first-hand report from Sue Harris in Monkey River, Belize, where several homes were damaged or destroyed.
A Facebook group has been formed by the staff of the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) on behalf of the people and Town Council of Monkey River.
Fiona’s photos of post-quake damage in Placencia, on Flickr.
News article from the Huffington Post, and the AP report, which go into more detail about the damage in Honduras.
Mission 2005/the Atlantis Projects (MIT) assesses “the seismic background of Belize”, noting that

“Every 8 years approximately, Belize experiences a 6.0 magnitude on the Richter scale subterranean earthquake in the ocean at the fault between Hunting Caye and Puerto Cortez. According to the Belize Development Trust, Belize has a 100% chance of seeing 5 earthquakes and 75% of seeing 10 in the next century. Furthermore, the Northern Lagoon where the Blue Hole is located is cut up into three reef sections separated by three wrench faults.”

The yellow lines on the USGS map shown above illustrate the regional plate boundaries (90% of all earthquakes occur on these shifting edges). It appears that both of these quakes centered on the plate boundary that runs roughly east-west under the Bay of Honduras.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Former Resident of Corozal, Belize

Can You Freeze Guacamole?

2009-05-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

There was some discussion on the Albuquerque City-Data forum recently as to whether one can successfully freeze guacamole.

After repeated experiments, my opinion is no, you can’t freeze guacamole – but you can freeze mashed avocado pulp, then gussy it up into guacamole at serving time.

Is frozen pulp as good as fresh? No, of course not. Is it better than nothing? Yes!

I used to do this all the time in Belize, where avocados ripen all at once in August & September. For two delirious months we’d be up to our elbows in buttery, ripe avocados … then we’d have to do without for the rest of the year. Wah!

So I would gather up all the ripe avocados I couldn’t eat then and there without exploding, and in a single marathon session I’d peel, pit and mash them with lashings of freshly squeezed lime juice, about a teaspoonful per avocado (count the pits). Here in the States, lemon juice works too.

(Despite what Diana Kennedy, the maven of Mexican cooking, says about this, I like the flavor of lime juice in my guacamole.)

Without adding anything more to the pulp, not even salt, I’d measure it into vacuum seal freezer bags, one to two cups per bag, and freeze it.

I strongly recommend the “suck ‘n seal” packaging method for this project. But whatever freezer bag you use, you want to remove as much air as possible. Oxidation is avocado’s enemy, turning exposed pulp an unattractive brown. The citric acid in the lime or lemon juice also helps preserve the color.

Depending on your freezer temperature and the bags you use, avocado pulp will keep nicely anywhere from two to six months in the freezer.

When it’s time to make the guacamole, first thaw the sealed bag of pulp overnight in the fridge. If you’re in a hurry, you can submerge your freezer bag in a bowl of warm water; but I don’t recommend defrosting it in the microwave. (I tried that once, and it got ugly.)

Once thawed, you’ll notice your avocado pulp may be a bit watery. Just punch a little hole in the freezer bag and drain off any excess liquid.

Then de-bag the pulp and mix in whatever fresh fixings you like – chopped tomatoes and Serrano chiles, minced onion, cilantro, etc. Salt to taste, maybe add a pinch of sugar, and serve.

Voila! Guacamole on demand.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Have you seen my “Second Story”?
Vintage Knitting & Fiber Arts Patterns

Better Internet in the Country? Cellular Broadband!

2009-05-21T14:42:00.001-06:00

I’ve just gotten off the phone with Dish Network, cancelling their Wild Blue satellite Internet service to my mountain home. Woohoo! I’m finally & officially freed from satellite Internet and now reconnected via Verizon cellular broadband.

The problem for residents of rural America like me, as I noted in my previous post I'm Offline because Dish Network Hates Kittens, is that until very recently, our Internet service choices were limited to two: dial-up (ugh, shudder) or satellite. No cable, no DSL, nada.

Until now, satellite service has worked out just fine for me, certainly an improvement on dial-up. It’s just Wild Blue’s service policies that drove me to cancel them.

Back story: when I accidentally exceeded Wild Blue’s (unpublished) upload limit with my Kitten Cam streaming video project, violating their vaguely-worded “Fair Access Policy”, their response was to cut my Internet access down to a virtual trickle. No warning, no communication, just ZAP – unusable Internet for an indefinite period of time, for which they would still charge me $80 per month.

In my first 10 days of strangled usage, my overage factor was only reduced from 6% to 5%. At that rate, I calculated it would be 50 more days until Wild Blue restored my service. And Wild Blue refused to budge, or even to let me buy my way out of the penalty.

So there I was, becalmed in the horse latitudes of the Internet disenfranchised, when I received David Pogue’s email feature on the MiFi portable wireless hotspot.

(David Pogue writes the superb Circuits column for the New York Times; out here in the Wild West you can subscribe via email and/or follow him on Twitter.)

And it suddenly dawned on me that there is a third option for rural or remote users like me: cellular broadband Internet service.

All I needed was some new and relatively inexpensive hardware, and I could switch from Wild Blue satellite to Verizon cellular broadband service … which is now cheaper and faster than satellite.

I hadn’t seriously considered cellular broadband Internet before, because last I’d looked it was expensive, with unattractive service terms, and all I could find on the market to receive cellular signal were the one-user-at-a-time cellular modems.

In other words, I could plug the cellular modem into my computer, work for a while, then unplug it and hand it over to my husband when it was his turn to get online.

Clearly, that would never work.

But if you combine that cellular modem with a wireless router to serve two or more users … and find a better-priced service … aha, a real solution!

So, Verizon introduced the MiFi 2200 last week, as you may already have heard, along with a truly improved service contract.

The MiFi is no bigger than a stack of three credit cards and combines a cellular modem, router and antenna in one device. Power it on, and within seconds you connect to your Verizon cellular broadband signal, and create a cozy, completely portable wireless hotspot big enough for you and four friends/devices to use.

But while the MiFi certainly is crazy-sexy-cool, and I wanted it badly, it wasn’t the right device for me.

I got a lot of help in this process from an online vendor, 3GStore.com. I can’t say enough good things about their (free) pre-sales tech support, and their product choices and pricing.

“You’re exactly the kind of customer who shouldn’t buy a MiFi,” 3G’s guru Alex told me. “Think of the MiFi as a city device. You live in the country.”

Even though Verizon’s 3G network is the best & largest in the world, I still live in a “less than optimal” service area. Up here in the mountains, I need a cell signal booster antenna, and you can’t attach a booster antenna to a MiFi.

Worse, in addition to my wireless laptop and iPod Touch, I have two older desktop computers that aren’t wireless … and finally, portability wasn’t really my primary concern; a permanently functional home office was.

So instead of the MiFi, I purchased:

A Cradlepoint MBR-1000 mobile broadband router which gives me an 802.11 ‘N’ wireless home network plus 4 Ethernet ports to direct-connect my older PCs;

A thumb-sized Verizon USB 760 cellular broadband modem and a booster antenna …

and then I signed up for Verizon cellular Internet service, just as you’d do for the MiFi.

One perk of this arrangement is that I’m not tied to Verizon once my two-year service contract is up. The CradlePoint allows me switch out the modem and the service if Verizon should ever irritate me as badly as Wild Blue has. The MiFi, by contrast, only works with Verizon service, period.

I’d also asked Alex if I could buy the MiFi to connect to the CradlePoint router instead of the 760 modem … then, when I traveled, I could just unhook the MiFi and slip it in my pocket … but, he says, no, not yet. (If you’re intrigued by this idea, the 3GStore is talking with CradlePoint technicians about offering exactly this solution, possibly in the next few weeks.)

And if you are able to wait that long, Sprint will introduce its own similarly-priced version of the MiFi – which will include GPS capability – next month.

Meanwhile, although I think calling the CradlePoint router “mobile” is a bit of a stretch, I can still travel with just the little 760 modem. I could unclip it from the CradlePoint router and jack it into my laptop while on the road.

Of course, without the router it’s back to the one-at-a-time-user situation, rather than a hotspot for multiple users/devices. And I can’t connect the modem to my iPod Touch.

But, what the heck, you can’t always have it all out here in the sticks.

Yet.

The bottom line:

The MiFi currently costs either $60 (from the 3GStore) or $100 (from Verizon). All the hardware I bought instead of the MiFi cost me about $225, from which I can deduct $75 in mail-in rebates, for a total of $150.
The Verizon cellular service is $60 per month, which is 25% less than I was paying Wild Blue every month. And it is noticeably faster than my former satellite service.
And what about overages? My Verizon contract caps at 5 GB per month – roughly the equivalent of 35,000 web pages – but yes, I am concerned that I might run over. If I do, it’s 5 cents per 1 Mb, which translates to $6 per extra GB. Can I live with 5 GB per month? I don’t know yet, but at least it’s clearly spelled out; and, instead of being hopelessly hog-tied by an overage, I can buy my way out of it.

I never thought I’d say this, but, thank you, Verizon … and nuts to you, Wild Blue!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Have you seen my “Second Story”?
Vintage Knitting & Fiber Arts Patterns

I'm Offline because Dish Network Hates Kittens

2009-05-09T15:15:00.004-06:00

I'm writing this at my local public library. Thanks to the generosity of the City of Albuquerque and Mayor Martin Chavez, our libraries offer free wireless Internet access.

So I'm at the library because I do not have Internet access at home, despite the premium $80 I pay every month to Dish Network/Wild Blue.

Dish Network, through their minion, I mean subcontractor, Wild Blue, has disconnected me because I exceeded their (secret) upload limit by 6 percent.

I wasted the last couple of days troubleshooting my computers and routers, assuming that my connection problem was local in origin.

Finally, I gave up & called Wild Blue this morning. They explained that due to my "contract violation" - never mind that their contract does not specify what this magical upload limit is - they would withhold my Internet service for an indefinite length of time.

"I really don't know how long it will be before we restore your service," the service rep told me. "It all depends. At least a week, maybe longer."

Presumably, it was my Kitten Cam streaming video project that caused me to exceed Wild Blue's unpublished upload limit.

I didn't have any warning. Wild Blue did not give me any notice that I was approaching or exceeding their secret limit. They said this was because they didn't know my email address ... which, of course, they provided me when we set up the account.

And there's no way to look at your bandwidth usage to determine if you are nearing Wild Blue's arbitrary, unpublished upload limit. Wild Blue does not offer a web interface to see any of your account details; Dish Network only shows the monthly charge as a lump sum, after the fact.

Speaking of charges, I hope being disconnected is my only punishment. I didn't think to ask if there would also be a financial penalty? Sigh.

Anyway, so until Wild Blue arbitrarily decides to restore my Internet service, I'll be almost entirely offline. I should be able to download email messages as long as they're simple text, but that's about it: none with HTML or attachments.

I won't be able to upload anything at all. That means, no new listings for my two Etsy stores, or my eBay store, or my Amazon store. No updates to my website or my blog unless I trek back here (24 mi R/T) to the library.

I can't access Twitter or Facebook, so no updates there, either.

This is cold, man, really cold.

Of course I'll start investigating other Internet service providers immediately. But I already know that options for our rural area are limited - and expensive. Those of you who live in urban areas probably take high speed Internet access for granted, but let me tell you, those of us out here in the country are well & truly disenfranchised.

But I shouldn't complain, as there are areas within the state of New Mexico that don't even have telephone service. When Qwest was granted the telephone monopoly by the State, they contractually agreed to provide service to our rural areas. Years later, when the State finally noticed Qwest hadn't lived up to its obligations in exchange for its extremely lucrative monopoly, Qwest decided they'd rather pay the non-performance penalties than actually provide the service.

So as I said, I feel lucky by comparison.

Anyway, while I'm researching other Internet access options, my Kitten Cam project is obviously dead in the water. Although we did record some video that's still available for viewing on the Ustream site.

I'd love to know how other streaming video providers do it ... I mean, there are loads of puppy cams and kitten cams out there running 24x7, presumably on residential (non-commercial) ISPs. How do they do it?

Are companies other than Wild Blue more generous with bandwidth? Or do they simply offer better, cheaper services to urban areas?

And if that's so, how do they get away with that? At what point do we acknowledge that Internet access is a utility?

Just wondering ... and I'd appreciate any info or suggestions anyone can give me on this. Via text-only email, of course.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

New Zealand Knitwear Designer to visit our knitting group!

2009-05-04T09:33:00.001-06:00

How amazing is this?

Lynette Harvey, New Zealand knitwear designer and creator of LynAdell Creative Knitwear designs will address a special meeting of our Sandia Stitch ‘n Time needlework group at the East Mountain Library in Tijeras, on Wednesday, May 6, starting at 2:00 PM.

Ms. Harvey’s subject will be “Knit to Fit: Shaping Knitted Garments”.

“The topic of shaping hand knit garments is dear to my heart,” Harvey told me, “what with all of our different shapes, and the ‘one size fits all’ attitude of manufacturers!”

Harvey’s design career has included periods as a head designer for a New Zealand magazine, writing and designing garments for publication, as lead designer for top fashion houses, and 14 years designing for her own successful retail outlet.

After winning a major award for a hand-crafted garment in the 1980s, she decided to focus solely on hand knitted designs.

Her unique knitted designs highlight her devotion to the total design of a garment, from selecting the wool, hand-making buttons, subtle shaping and bias curves to complement the figure.

Our special presentation is open to the public, free of charge. All interested knitters are invited to attend, and refreshments will be served!

~ * ~

Upcoming meetings are scheduled for May 9 and May 23. You can always find our latest schedule info on my website, LocalGringos.com, under the heading “kNitting kNews”.

Map of East Mountain Library location in Tijeras, NM:

Hope to see you there,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Have you seen my “Second Story”?
Vintage Knitting & Fiber Arts Patterns

We’re foster parents! For 5 Abandoned Kitties

2009-04-30T10:32:00.001-06:00

Monday morning we got the call we’d been hoping for from Animal Humane of Albuquerque: they have an onslaught of abandoned kittens, and they have a litter that needs fostering!

Two weeks ago we applied to be “foster parents” for Animal Humane. We said we could take kittens, puppies or adult dogs.

(We figured that with our current pet population, we’d better not try to take nursing mothers of either species – too stressful for all involved.)

We have 4 cats and 4 dogs of our own (all but one are rescues). On 5 acres, in a smallish house, that’s plenty. We simply can’t permanently adopt any more. But, we realized, we can foster animals that need help.

How Animal Fostering Works

When Animal Humane receives animals too young, too small or too sick for immediate adoption, they send them to live with volunteer foster families like ours.

We give them the special care & feeding they need, and socialize them. They can get used to people, being picked up, petted, and fed -- and to being around other cats, and dogs, especially large dogs. Our smallest dog is a Weimeraner, to give you an idea.

Then, when they are old enough, large enough, and healthy enough, we return them to Animal Humane for permanent adoption. Strong and healthy, they have a much better chance of finding what AH calls their “forever home”.

Animal Humane provides us all the supplies we need to take care of the kitties. When we left the AH “campus”, we had two heavy sacks full of kitten formula, feeding bottles, stage-two weaning food, canned wet food, dry kibble, cat toys, a cat carrier and even a fleecy hammock to hang in our pet crate.

About the Kittens

These guys are tiny! There are five of them, from different litters. They do not yet know how to lap from a bowl, or to eat solid food, so we are bottle-feeding them every 2 hours.

On May 12, we’ll take them in to Animal Humane’s clinic for a check-up and vaccinations. Animal Humane provides all their medical care free of charge.

They’ll stay with us for an estimated four weeks, until May 25. By then, we hope we can fatten them up to 2 pounds, and they’ll be old enough for adoption. At that point, we’ll take them back, with their chances for survival greatly improved.

Other Ways to Help

As my veterinarian in Belize used to tell me, over and over like a mantra, “You can’t save them all.”

It’s not always possible to permanently adopt an animal, I know.

And I know that not everyone has the time that fostering animals requires. I’m lucky to be able to work at home, so I can provide the round-the-clock care & supervision that these little guys need.

But there are many other ways to help your local animal shelter. Our Animal Humane shelter has a list of ways you can help them, for example. Your local shelter probably has a similar list.

Here are some suggestions:

Cash donations are always welcome, of course. AH spends an average of $21.64 per animal, per day caring for their rescued animals.
If you can’t care for animals in your home, you can volunteer your time to help out at the shelter.
You can donate items from your shelter’s wish list. This might include cat litter, blankets, pet toys and so forth.
Many shelters like Animal Humane operate thrift stores to support their good work, so you can donate gently used goods and clothing to those for resale.

We are so grateful to the people of Albuquerque who support the efforts of Animal Humane. Their donations made it possible for us to foster these kitties.

Thanks to all of you who support animal rescue!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

P.S. If you’d like to take a peep at the kittens in real time, we’ve set up a Kitten Cam for streaming video, on-air live usually from 8 am to 6 pm or so, Mountain Daylight time!

Currently we’re trying to extend our feeding times from every 2 hours to 2-1/2 hours or so; feeding times are posted on the video site and on Twitter. (Follow me on Twitter for the latest updates.)

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

2009-04-24T08:31:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my fourth “Fabulous Fiber Friday”, a weekly round-up of the best of the fiber-oriented freebies, contests and sales that’ve turned up through the week.

If you’ve got a fabulous fiber deal of your own, feel free to post it as a comment here (find how-to instructions at the end of this post). The more, the merrier!

**Fiesta Yarns & Ironstone Yarns: Massive Sale in ABQ**

If you’re lucky enough to live in Albuquerque in May, or even if you’re only passing through, you’ll definitely want to shop the week-long “Fiber Extravaganza Sale” culminating in a huge parking lot markdown frenzy, sponsored by New Mexico hand-dyed luxury yarn artists Fiesta Yarns and Ironstone Yarns.

The sale will include yarns of all descriptions, of course: first runs, short runs, odd lots, seconds, discontinued and closeout yarns; but also books, patterns, needles, magazines and notions … all at up to 75% off regular prices.

May 11-15, 2009: Big Discounts in the Fiesta Yarns Outlet Store, 10 am - 4:30 pm daily
May 16, 2009: Huge Parking Lot Sale with deeper discounts and deals, 10 am - 5 pm.

Here’s the official sale flyer with more info, and a Red Hot Deals Coupon to save even more money!

VK’s knit.1.08 Patterns Now Online

Vogue Knitting’s “knit.1” Fall/Winter 2008 magazine issue sold out completely last year, taking some knitters by surprise, leaving them howling for the patterns.

Well, howl no more, all 24 patterns have been uploaded to the VK Pattern Store this week, and are available for online purchase.

Chance to Win $25 in Lion Brand Yarns

Just got an email from our friends at Lion Brand Yarns, who’d like to hear from you, and might reward you for sharing your opinions:

“We always love hearing from you, our customers. Take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us AND enter for a chance to win $25 to spend on any future purchase on LionBrand.com! Take our survey by clicking here!”

Talk to Planet Purl

Similarly, the knitting website Planet Purl solicits your input, and sweetens the pot with a lavish yarn prize.

“Post suggestions for what you want to see on the site in our forum and be entered to win. The winner will receive (4) 7.5 ounce skeins of luscious Look China Tussah Silk/New Zealand Wool, 440 yards each, 1760 yards total (a $120 value). The random drawing will be held May 14th. Post your ideas and be entered to win! “

“Affordable Yarns” Sale on eBay

Frankfort Avenue Fibers, whose eBay outlet store is appropriately dubbed “Affordable Yarns’, has marked down more than 200 of their knitting & crochet patterns and mill-end yarn eBay listings by 15%. New sales begin weekly, so keep an eye on their store!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

~*~

Are You Having a Fabulous Fiber Sale?

If you’re offering a special fiber arts or yarn sale, contest, promotion or giveaway, and would like to share it here on Fabulous Fiber Friday, feel free to post your promotion details as a comment to this or any subsequent Fabulous Fiber Friday post.

Be sure to include your URL link, plus the beginning and ending dates of your special offer!

De-stashing some knit notions …

2009-04-21T11:03:00.001-06:00

Okay, it’s that time again: the ominous creaking sounds of my overstuffed studio about to explode!

So I’ve conducted another round of spring-cleaning-destash … this time focusing on knitting notions, patterns & magazines.

My rule of thumb this time that if I haven’t used it, looked at it, or even picked it up in a year, it needs to go.

Here’s what’s up for grabs:

3 pairs Susan Bates Quicksilver knitting needles, single points, US sizes 5, 8 and 9, at eBay auction. I know some of you are simply addicted to the Quicksilver aluminum alloy needles …

I don’t think I ever used these needles, so they’re nice & straight & in their original packaging.
The newest issue of Knitter's Magazine Spring 2009 that features a great how-to feature on ELISE DUVEKOT’s K1B (knit-1-below) technique.

This issue looked so great (or I’m such an idiot) that I bought it twice. Now one of my copies can be yours, instantly, through my eBay fixed price listing. Last I looked, mine was the only copy out there!
Another new magazine - Knitting Magazine March 2009, featuring a Nicky Epstein pattern, a Rowan Classic pattern, & how-to lace techniques, also listed at eBay fixed price.

I love the magazine, but this issue didn’t have any patterns that I wanted to knit. (Judging from the number of eBay watchers on this one, definitely a minority opinion.)

Remember, for the fixed price listings I can also accept “best offers”, so don’t be shy, make me an offer! Other knitting pattern books I have listed on eBay:

KNIT & CROCHET FASHION PATTERNS book, featuring Lion Brand Yarns Leisure Arts #3773, $4.95
EASY KNIT FASHIONS Women's Knitting Patterns book, American School of Needlework #1378, $6.95

While you’re at it, you might also want to check out my fiber arts listings in my Bonanzle store – I’ve got knitting, crochet, cross-stitch and quilting books & patterns, and I have yet to make a single sale, darn it. You could be my first customer!

And, over on Etsy, my destash of vintage 1960s knitting patterns, (only $4.95 per mint condition book) and back issues of American Craft magazines (only $3.95 each) goes on …

Happy shopping!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

I won a bag of AlbuqCookies!

2009-04-20T09:35:00.001-06:00

I can’t believe I actually won a contest drawing – I almost never do! – but I did, I won a bag of AlbuqCookies, yay!

And you can, too: just enter the monthly drawing on the AlbuqCookies website. Quick, go enter right now, because the cookies are wonderful!

Here’s the pic. Isn’t the bag design great?

Okay, so, somehow half the cookies got eaten before I got the camera out, but I’m sure you can just imagine how the bag looked when it was full.

I discovered this great local product back in February, at the Fiery Foods Fiesta in Albuquerque.

As I noted at the time, AlbuqCookies were one of my three favorite foods at the Fiesta!

The flavor I sampled at the Fiesta was Leah Rosie’s Chocolate Pepper Chile. Mmm, crisp spicy chocolate.

In the mail, I’ve just received my prize bag of Chocolate Pinon Biscotti – also delicious, but not spicy. Better for breakfast, I suppose!

Other AlbuqCookie flavors include Green Chile Pecan Sandia Cookies, Lavender Lemon Biscotti, Toffee Almond Biscotti, and Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cherry/Cranberry Biscotti.

In Albuquerque, AlbuqCookies can be found at La Montanita Co-op, Kellers Farmers Market, and Model Pharmacy. And AlbuqCookie owner Steve Hoffman tells me that within the next couple of weeks, Triangle Grocery in Cedar Crest will start carrying them, too!

I can’t wait.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

The balm of new music

2009-04-15T14:20:00.002-06:00

I’ve just finished filing our taxes, whew.

It was unusually difficult this year, as I discovered yesterday that DH had somehow lost, shredded or otherwise disposed of all the 1099s I’d been saving since January. Sigh.

Then this morning a virus somehow got past McAfee and crashed his computer’s hard drive. Karma, you think?

Definitely a challenging day.

So now I’m rewarding myself by not working, instead just piddling around listening to music, auditioning new aural input.

First up, I fell in love with this music video, a compilation of artists all around the world playing “Stand By Me”. It truly brought tears to my eyes, not only triggered by tax stress.

The video is a project from the Playing for Change Foundation, BTW, “building and connecting music & art schools around the world”; worth a look-see.

Then I stopped by Pandora Radio to update my artist list. (I’m listening to it now; you can listen in too on my MaggieBelize “radio station”.)

I heard a good cut from Jardin Interior by Las Malas Amistades - “the bad friends” – a Colombian “psych folk D-I-Y punk” band made up of non-musicians who spontaneously record without first writing or rehearsing.

“Psych folk”?? I might not buy it, but I had fun hearing it.

While I was at it, I added my longtime favorites Julieta Venegas, David Byrne, Juana Molina and Leo Kottke to Radio MaggieBelize.

Then I moved on to David Dye’s World Cafe NPR show.

I love the World Cafe show. I listened faithfully when I lived in Houston, and through it discovered all sorts of wonderful then-new music: Raul Malo’s Every Little Thing About You and Billy Bragg’s Accident Waiting to Happen, for example, just off the top of my head. When I lived in Belize, well out of radio range, I bought World Cafe’s annual compilation CDs to tide me over.

So one of my biggest disappointments in moving back to the States was to discover the show isn’t aired in New Mexico! But now I can subscribe to the show podcast, which gives me the featured artists at least, if not the whole show playlist.

Anyway, I was on the site looking for Bajofondo Tango Club, an Argentinian-Uruguayan tango band featured on World Cafe last August.

(I found my months-old note-to-self about Bajofondo when I cleaned off my desk, looking for those darned 1099s.)

I realize how unlikely “electro-tango” sounds as a music genre, but their sound is so inventive and unusual: “a sensual soundscape of tango, trip-hop, drum & bass and pop elements that redefine the essence of tango for the 21st century.”

The band’s producer / guitarist / vocalist is Gustavo Santaolalla, two-time Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning composer of Brokeback Mountain and Babel.

Their latest studio CD, Mar Dulce, was recorded in real time in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo and Madrid … and includes vocals from Elvis Costello, Nellie Furtado, and Julieta Venegas.

Based on the cuts I heard on World Cafe, this one’s a definite must-buy. And I’ve just treated myself to it! What with our tax refunds coming, and all.

Ahh, new music … I feel better already.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

A brightly-colored Easter

2009-04-12T15:58:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to post our doings this holiday weekend.

Last night we went wild coloring Easter eggs. Of course we had to try Martha Stewart’s technique of dyeing eggs using patterned silk. We used a 50-cent silk tie we found at a yard sale on Friday.

They came out kinda cool, we thought! To make the egg at the upper left, we used the maroon lining of the tie; the other three were made using the maroon tie fabric itself, which had blue and yellow stripes.

We weren’t sure how well this would work, after reading MaryBT’s CraftFail tale of her attempt that inexplicably yielded utterly white eggs … but fortunately our efforts went smoothly.

Then we dyed a bunch more eggs using a variety Paas dye kits. I’d gotten some crazy ones, including a Marbleized Egg kit and a Tie-Dye egg kit. Frankly, neither of these worked very well. They were fun to play with, but the resulting eggs were oooo-gly. (I’ll spare you the photos.) The best news is that the dyes did not permanently stain the granite countertops.

And once you start coloring things, it’s hard to stop. Here are a couple of shots of our Easter table, ready for our feast this evening.

Isn’t it great when you’ve bought a bunch of crazy random things over the years, and one day they all just come together? And look as if you planned it all along?

For Easter dinner, we’re making the maple-syrup-braised ham from Ruth Reichl’s revised Gourmet cookbook – my idea of a “desert island” cookbook -- plus cheese grits, a tossed salad of spring greens, and oven-baked zucchini and onions Parmesan. (Yeah, that probably sounds like cheesy overkill, but that’s the family’s vote so I’m going with it.)

Then, if we’re not too sick from eating chocolate bunnies and malted milk “robin’s eggs” all day, or maybe even if we are, we’ll have Ghirardelli brownies and peanut-butter ice cream for dessert.

Happy Easter, everyone!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Easter Snow

2009-04-11T09:02:00.003-06:00

Today, unexpectedly, another spring snow storm!

It started snowing early this morning, pre-dawn in fact, so we scrambled to rearrange today’s plans.

As I write, the flakes are getting fatter and falling faster. Our cat Minnie is watching from her comfortable perch on the back of the couch.

Our satellite TV dish is already full of snow, so no reception, and I imagine the internet satellite dish will fill next. I could climb out the bathroom window again onto the roof to shovel it out … or – yawn! -- maybe not.

After all, we still have the Nintendo Wii!

Happy snowy day,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Bummer Basket: When Knitting Goes Awry

2009-04-09T12:41:00.001-06:00

I recently discovered a wonderful website called Craft Fail: “a community blog dedicated to sharing our not-so-successful crafting attempts.”

I joined Craft Fail immediately, and not just because of that lovely warm feeling of schadenfreude (noun - satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune), but also because I just happen to have a ridiculously failed project of my own, ready to share.

(Unlike the failed project sitting in my craft room right now, that is, a decoupage disaster waiting for me to photo it before giving it a decent burial. I may share that one later.)

This is the story I’m sending to Craft Fail.

The Bummer Basket, A Christmas Story

It started as such a simple plan: I wanted to knit a gift for my mom for Christmas. I love knitting for my mom, because no matter how lame my projects are, she “ooohs” and “ahhs”” and makes me feel as if I’m the best knitter in the world.

So, last November I returned from Cat Bordhi’s knitting retreat all fired up about the Moebius cast-on & knitting techniques I’d just learned.

And in Cat’s Second Treasury of Magical Knitting book, I found the perfect Christmas gift project for my mom: the Moebius Bum Basket.

The Christmas countdown clock was ticking, but this project looked like a quick knit. And one which would be felted. Felting, I naively thought, would cover the multitude of sins I might commit as a new Moebius knitter.

This is Cat’s picture of her Moebius Bum Basket, which I intended to re-create:

It’s funny! It’s cute! It would make a great gift!

And before we go any farther, I want to make one thing completely clear: there is absolutely nothing wrong with Cat’s knitting pattern or instructions. This story is totally about operator error.

The Moebius bum basket is intended to be a sort of saddlebag, as you can see, two round baskets suspended from a shared handle in the middle. You begin by knitting the handle and the rim for both baskets, with waste yarn knitted into the middle of the rim.

When you finish the rim, you pull out the waste yarn to open up live stitches, like unzipping a zipper, and pick up and knit each half-basket downwards from the rim.

Cat warns, “You will find that the rim sts on your needle are grouped in oddly twisted sets …”

Yep, it certainly looked twisted at this point. And that’s where I got lost. I’m still not sure exactly how I did it – did I pick up those stitches upside down? Or backwards? Did I have a 50/50 chance of success, or only a 1 in 4?

Whatever … it wasn’t long before I suspected I’d made a terrible mistake. The stitches for the second basket compartment were buried deep within the interior of the first basket.

And for a while, in deepest denial, I actually knit faster.

When even I had to admit my project had gone horribly wrong, it was three days before I had to leave for Austin. The thing still had to be felted and dried. It was way too late to frog and re-start. In desperation, I decided I’d simply knit the second basket separately and suture it to the outside of the first basket. Everything would straighten out in the felting, right?

On the back jacket of Cat’s book, it says that Cat “likes nothing better than to have a knitting experiment go awry, because it means very interesting, possibly never-before-seen things are soon to be revealed.”

So, for your enjoyment, here’s my finished, possibly interesting, but certainly never-before-seen “bummer” basket:

Ta-daa! And please note that it looks equally stupid from any angle:

You know what may be the saddest part? I went ahead and gave it to my mom. That’s right, I wrapped it up and put it under the tree.

I wish you could have seen the look on her face, as she struggled to (a) figure out what on earth it was, and (b) come up with a compliment for it!

The bummer basket now lives at the back of the top shelf of her closet, along with the lopsided clay vase I made in kindergarten, and the souvenir pin I brought her from Washington D.C. in sixth grade, that has “Mother” spelled out in rhinestones above a dangling White House charm.

Good place for it.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Vogue Knitting Pattern 3-Day Sale

2009-04-07T12:40:00.001-06:00

Just got an email alerting me to Vogue Knitting’s three-day sale on knitting patterns: from now until midnight Thursday, April 9, all VK patterns are marked down to only $1.99!

Since VK’s patterns are regularly $6 each, this is a great opportunity to snap up any you need. It must be a very popular sale, as their pattern database has crashed twice while I’ve been trying to shop it!

Before you pick & purchase a pattern, be sure to look through the number of free patterns available for download from the main pattern page, including the Silver Anniversary Cover series.

In my case, I’ve apparently lost my copy of Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2008 that had that great sideways-knitted lace cardi on the cover …

I know I bought the magazine, but now it’s nowhere to be found.

And, of course, the pattern I want isn’t in the free download selection.

So this is my chance to get it!

I know, I’ll feel really stupid when I find the magazine hiding under the bed or behind the couch. But I really want to try that cardi, so I’m going for it. Don’t try to stop me.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

ETA: Ran one last search mission before ordering. Found the magazine: the cats had hidden it under chair in studio.

Bought Shiri Mor’s cardi pattern instead, from VK Spring/Summer 2007.

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

2009-04-03T10:42:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my third “Fabulous Fiber Friday”, a weekly round-up of the best of the fiber-oriented freebies, contests and sales that’ve turned up through the week.

If you’ve got a fabulous fiber deal of your own, feel free to post it as a comment here (find how-to instructions at the end of this post). The more, the merrier!

EtsyKnitters’ Spring Scavenger Hunt

This week, I am so excited to announce the EtsyKnitters Team Spring Scavenger Hunt!

We have a grand total of 31 Etsy shops participating, each offering BOGO specials, discounts of 10-15-20% on purchases, and/or free shipping, and/or charitable donations from their sales!

The eye candy clues on the official Hunt page are worth the trip alone. Wow, it’s really an honor to be a member of such a creative & talented group of knitters! (Learn more about the EtsyKnitters team.)

The Spring Scavenger Hunt is a simple concept:

Find any 10 items in the EtsyKnitters’ stores, using the gallery of photo clues we’ve provided.
Send us the 10 item numbers matched with the Etsy store where you found them, using our easy online Entry Form.
You’ll get the “magic word” back by email!

Use that magic word with any order you place with these participating EtsyKnitters, and voila! You get tons of great deals on handmade, fiber-y goodness.

The Spring Scavenger Hunt promotion begins today, Friday April 3. Deadline for entries is Sunday, April 12. Your special discounts will be good for shopping throughout the Hunt, plus an additional week – until April 19. Click here for complete details.

Let the game begin!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

~*~

Are You Having a Fabulous Fiber Sale?

Be sure to include your URL link, plus the beginning and ending dates of your special offer!

I Love Things That Work …

2009-04-02T16:25:00.001-06:00

As opposed to things that don’t! When I shell out my cash on a craft gadget or an exotic food or a miracle cosmetic, and it actually works, I’m thrilled! And often surprised, too.

Today I am very happy with my new ribbon organizer.

I know, organizing ribbons sounds like a simple thing. But it’s not! If you’ve seen the fiber care tags I make & sell in my Etsy store, you’ll notice that each and every one is tied off with a pretty fabric ribbon.

Like this, for example:

Most of the tag designs I make require a different color ribbon to match … so the upshot is, I currently have over 50 rolls of quarter-inch ribbon that have to be stored somehow, somewhere.

Stored, that is, where I can see all the colors I have – but where the cats won’t find them. (My cats really like ribbons.)

And I thought it would be nice if I could easily pull out a roll to use, and just as easily put it back when I’m done … that’s the kind of convenience I need to keep my studio clutter under control.

After looking at various models of ribbon organizers, and ruling out any with spindles that I’d have to take apart to add or remove rolls, any that let ribbon ends dangle temptingly in cat’s paw range, and any that required stacking, I found the only one that works for me and my 50+ rolls: the Simply Renee Clip It Up Ribbon Organizer.

This wall-mounted, trough-like rack is three feet long, and 5-1/4” deep. Today it’s holding 52 rolls of variously sized ribbon in my craft room.

Since that should be enough ribbon for anyone, I’ve sworn I’m only going to refill by attrition.

I am also very pleased with the 40 clips that hook onto the bottom rail. You can use these clips to suspend scraps, or bags of ribbons and fibers. The clips were an unexpected bonus! You can hang all sorts of odds and ends from them.

There are two scissor-holders, one at either end of the rack. I’ve got a pair of scissors in one slot, and a paper punch in the other.

And it comes with a handy ruler decal, which I applied to the front left. Nice!

You could optionally feed the ends of the ribbons out over the lip of the trough, but I decided against that. The cats, doncha know.

Okay, so this gizmo wasn’t cheap, but I did have a coupon that took almost 50% off the total. That helped!

Quite possibly you could rig up your own homemade version, starting with maybe a length of gutter from the hardware store? And I’m thinking about adding a flip-up lid from some kind of clear plastic material to keep the dust out.

But the best thing is that this gizmo works really, really well.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

More Fun & Games: Instant Random Band

2009-03-30T12:25:00.001-06:00

Found this on the Make-zine blog recently: instructions for creating an instant, random band, complete with cover art, band name & album title!

1. Go to Wikipedia and hit “random article” and the first article you get is the name of your band.
2. Go to “Random Quotations”. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page will be the title of your album.

3. Go to Flickr and click on “Explore the Last Seven Days”. The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Here’s what I got:

1. Band name from Wikipedia random article …

Okay, first try: That 1 Guy.

Hey! That’s already a band name!

“Mike Silverman, better known as That 1 Guy, is an American musician based out of Berkeley, California. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band, using a slew of homemade instruments and singing, often with rhyming, nonsensical lyrics.”

Should I go back and try again?

Oh wow, I got another musician! This time, it’s Amity Dry.

“Amity Renae Dry is an Australian singer/songwriter, and a former reality show contestant.”

I guess either name would for my mythical band, but for today I’m going with Amity Dry. (Neither’s as good as one my Galveston friend Jim Kelly suggested, “Baitcamp Splinterboard”!)

2. Album title from Random Quotation …

On my first draw, I got this bit from Carl Sagan:

“I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true.”

Hmmm, by the rules that would make my album title “Inconsiderable One Of Being True”, rawther dry. If I weren’t playing by the rules, “Wonder in Science” would be good, or closer to the rules, “The Additional Virtue of Being True”.

Let’s try again.

Oh, much better! This time I got this:

“When the water reaches the upper level, follow the rats.” Claude Swanson (1862 - 1939)

That means my album title can be “Follow The Rats”! I love it!

3. Random album art from Flickr …

Oh, I am a lucky girl! Look at the picture I got, from Flickr’s last 7 days, third picture displayed:

Shadow Dog
From Raymond Larose

Isn’t it great?

Now it’s off to PhotoPaint to work out my new random band album.

And here it is:

What fun!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Ode to the Perfect Snowstorm

2009-03-28T13:12:00.001-06:00

I suspect that yesterday’s snowstorm may have been the last one of our winter up here in the Sandias, which makes me just a little sad.

I know grown-ups aren’t supposed to like snow. And sure, it can be a hassle when it goes on for days, or when you have to shovel it.

But this was my idea of the “perfect storm”.

(1.) It started stealthily, late in the night.

(2.) We awoke to find 6 inches on the ground, and more coming down.

That’s enough for us to cancel our appointments. The local schools and libraries closed.

(3.) It snowed steadily through lunchtime, long enough to remove any lingering doubts about calling it a “snow day”.

I’d made a pot of tortilla soup the night before, so we were well supplied.

Then we went out to play! The dogs’ favorite game is Snowball Catch.

(4.) The snow was thick, heavy, and wet: just right for snowballs and other constructions.

(5.) Then the skies cleared, and the sun came out.

(Knitters are SO cool.)

(6.) By dinnertime, it was almost all gone.

I’m glad I took the pictures, and the day off.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

2009-03-27T11:19:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my second “Fabulous Fiber Friday”, a weekly round-up of the best of the fiber-oriented freebies, contests and sales that’ve turned up through the week.

If you’ve got a fabulous fiber deal of your own, feel free to post it as a comment here (find how-to instructions at the end of this post). The more, the merrier!

March is “Dummies Month” – The Books, That Is

Amazon has just posted a sale on the popular “…for Dummies” series, which includes knitting and crochet books! Through the end of this month (March 2009), you can get 38% off any of the Dummies titles, plus a $5 mail-in rebate.

Knitting for Dummies, written by well-known knitsters Pam Allen, Tracy Barr and Shannon Okey, is one of the best-selling Dummies titles ever!

The new second edition covers online knitting resources, has a new section on felting, and new projects, in addition to the invaluable “how-to” knitting fundamentals.

And I like Kristi Porter’s Knitting Patterns for Dummies edition, too. It’s project-oriented, great for beginners who are gaining confidence, with some good patterns to take you beyond the basic scarf.

You’ll also find Crocheting for Dummies and Crochet Patterns for Dummies, or, if you wanna be “bi-crafty”, you might prefer all your instructions in one volume, Knitting AND Crocheting for Dummies!

This promotion ends March 31, so hurry!

Sock Book Sale

Continuing the bookish theme this week, I discovered that all sock knitting books are currently 40% off at KnitPicks, including Cookie A’s popular new Sock Innovation title (shown right).

This special sale includes all the sock books they have in stock, but is limited to only those in stock … and the sale lasts one week only, ending Thursday morning, April 2nd.

~*~

Are You Having a Fabulous Fiber Sale?

Be sure to include your URL link, plus the beginning and ending dates of your special offer!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

What Your Blog Reveals About You

2009-03-26T15:25:00.001-06:00

I’ve just discovered a fun little tool called Typealyzer: it reads your blog entries, then reveals which personality type you are … or which persona you write as, which may or may not be the same thing, of course.

I stumbled onto this in Rachel King’s BusinessWeek article, What Your Blog Says About You.

Just for grins, I tried it both ways: letting Typealyzer read my blog, then taking a version of the Myers-Briggs personality test on which it is based.

Typealyzer’s Interpretation

According to Typealyzer, the persona reflected by what I’ve written here in this blog is the Myers-Briggs “ESTP”, meaning Extraverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving, characterized as “Do-ers,” or “Artisan Promoters”.

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. [Yep.]

They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time. [Nope, not if I’m knitting. And listening to an audiobook. And the TV’s on … ]

An alternate interpretation from Keirsey.com:

Artisans are most at home in the real world of solid objects that can be made and manipulated, and of real-life events that can be experienced in the here and now. [Absolutely.]

Artisans have exceptionally keen senses, and love working with their hands. They seem right at home with tools, instruments, and vehicles of all kinds, and their actions are usually aimed at getting them where they want to go, and as quickly as possible. [I have to make things, I can’t help it. I love gadgets. And tools? Home Depot is my favorite store.]

Thus Artisans will strike off boldly down roads that others might consider risky or impossible, doing whatever it takes, rules or no rules, to accomplish their goals. [On occasion I have done, yes.]

Direct Personality Test

Then I took the personality test here, by answering a series of questions. This result was “ENTJ”, meaning Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging, characterized as the “Fieldmarshal”.

"I don't care to sit by the window on an airplane. If I can't control it, why look?" [Exactly.]

The ENTJ requires little encouragement to make a plan: "I make these little plans that really don't have any importance to anyone else, and then feel compelled to carry them out." [I make “little plans” constantly. Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly; even 5-year and 10-year-plans.]

And then there’s this version of who the ENTJ persona is, from Keirsey.com:

Hardly more than two percent of the total population, Fieldmarshals are bound to lead others. In some cases, they simply find themselves in charge of groups, and are mystified as to how this happened. [That would be me.]

But the reason is that they have a strong natural urge to give structure and direction wherever they are - to harness people in the field and to direct them to achieve distant goals. They cannot not build organizations, and cannot not push to implement their goals.

Although Fieldmarshals are tolerant of established procedures, they can and will abandon any procedure when it can be shown to be ineffective in accomplishing its goal.

They are ever intent on reducing bureaucratic red tape, task redundancy, and aimless confusion in the workplace. Fieldmarshals root out and reject ineffectiveness and inefficiency, and are impatient with repetition of error. [Absolutely true, it drives me mad.]

Unappealingly Napoleonic as this second description may sound, I have to admit it is shockingly spot-on, insofar as dealing with groups of people is concerned.

I wonder if the difference between the two test sets is that my writing is public, and my test answers are ostensibly private? Or that the so-called “extravert” and “thinking” traits that turned up in both tests are the two I can’t hide no matter what? Hmmm.

Anyway, if you’ve got a blog, go try these yourself. I’m sure reading your own results will be infinitely more interesting than reading mine!

Have fun,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Were They Kidding? CBS Colonoscopy Contest

2009-03-24T13:29:00.001-06:00

Late Friday night my mom called to ask if I’d seen the CBS-TV advertisement for a “colonoscopy contest”.

She’d been watching the NCAA basketball finals, and swore that just afterwards this “incredibly hokey” commercial had come on, offering the chance to win a vacation trip to NYC for a free colonoscopy test.

I assumed she’d fallen asleep on the couch and dreamed the whole thing. Or, perhaps she was so distraught over the Texas loss that she was delusional. She admitted that if it’d been Saturday, she’d have assumed it was Saturday Night Live. But it wasn’t.

Imagine my surprise to discover that the “CBS Cares Colonoscopy Sweepstakes,” a PSA promotion created by the madmen of Marden Kane, is real. Watch it for yourself at CBS Cares video.

I found the contest entry page verbiage downright bizarre. Here’s a sample:

“When the colonoscopy is about to begin, you'll be given drugs which will make you feel like you're at Woodstock... only without the music. If you start to believe that you actually are at Woodstock (for example, Dr. Miskovitz starts to look like Jimi Hendrix or you feel inclined to say "far out!" in response to questions), please report the side effect to Dr. Miskovitz or Jimi Hendrix (whomever you see first) immediately.”

Um, I assume this supposed to appeal to us aging boomers? You have to be between 40 and 79 years old to enter the contest, I noticed. Do they think we still want to drop acid? Before a colonoscopy? O, the horror.

I have seriously mixed feelings about this. As a member of the presumed target demographic, I’m personally offended more than entertained, in the same way I was offended by the film Forrest Gump.

(I know, right? How could anyone be offended by a box of chocolates? But I felt as if my own personal memories were being pillaged and plagiarized in a cheesy attempt at emotional blackmail. But, never mind, I’m sure that’s just me.)

But a quick Google this morning reveals I’m not the only one taken aback by this PSA campaign.

“I was gobsmacked. I thought it must be a joke,” writes Jeanne Sather in her Assertive Cancer Patient blog. “What were those folks at CBS thinking? … Maybe if the winner is diagnosed with colon cancer, CBS will offer them their own reality show?”

Dr. Wes, a cardiologist writing for the Trusted MD Network, raises some serious questions about this contest:

People under 50 shouldn’t be screened for colon cancer, so why are 40-49 year-olds encouraged to enter the contest?
What in the world are they promoting, a free ‘high’ or colon cancer screening?
Is this how we discuss screening tests now?
Where are the risks of colonoscopy and sedation discussed?
How will the list of people who register for the ‘free’ colonoscopy that don't win be used?
Finally, if cancer is found on the screening and the patient is uninsured, who will assume responsibility for ongoing treatment of the patient?

But the colonoscopy contest also has its supporters, among them Susan Dowd Stone writing for EmpowHer Women’s Health Online.

Stone admires the “combination of humor, information and encouragement which characterizes this engaging and life-saving campaign.”

“From the intro that will leave you smiling, to the great interview with expert Dr. Paul Miskovitz, to the actual contest you can enter for a totally free colonoscopy – CBS Cares has presented a compelling case for attention and action to this crucial health issue,” she says.

… Plus a “Bottom Line” Poetry Contest

If you do happen to like mixing humor with medical procedures, you’ll probably want to enter the Colonoscopy Poetry Contest, too!

A group of South Florida physicians known as the Digestive CARE(TM) Gastroenterologists is sponsoring the 'Bottom Line Poetry Contest' for National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month (which is March 2009, if you didn’t know).

"By launching this Bottom Line Poetry Contest, we hope to bring more attention to the life-saving value of regular colonoscopies as part of a person's ongoing professional medical care," says Kenneth Rosenthal, M.D., the Boca Raton-based gastroenterologist who chairs Digestive Care's PR Committee.

"The original new poems can be heartfelt or humorous," adds Dr. Rosenthal. "We hope Digestive CARE's Bottom Line Poetry Contest will help publicize the deadly serious message of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month - and that's the real bottom line."

Palm Beach Post staff writer Frank Cerabino has rounded up some “Stinkers from the colonoscopy poetry contest.” And, he challenges, “Got the guts to try poetry on colon care?”

You can win a $500 prize for writing the best new original poem about colonoscopies; deadline for submission is April 30, 2009, the last day of National Poetry Month.

… And a Colonoscopy Movie Poster!

Last but not least, my Google-based wanderings turned up this Photoshop artist’s creation: a poster for a mythical movie dubbed The Never-Ending Colonoscopy.

“This time they’ve gone too far.”

“Quite possibly the crappiest movie ever made.”

~*~

TTYL,

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Sunday Blue Plate Special: 10% off all Fiber Arts!

2009-03-22T10:28:00.001-06:00

This week’s Blue Plate Special is 10% off all of the “Fiber Arts” items in my Bonanzle store!

This special discount includes all my patterns and project books for knitting, crochet, cross-stitch and quilting. And it includes my original “kNotes for kNitters” designs!

Even better, if you purchase $10 or more, you can take an additional 10% off your total. Is that crazy, or what?

These great bargains are for a limited time only.

Your shopping window is a 3-hour period beginning tonight, Sunday March 22, at 7 p.m. Mountain time, and ending at 10 p.m. Mountain time.

You can visit my Bonanzle store any time today to preview the sale items, and I’ll be adding new items during the day, so be sure to check back during the sale tonight.

What is the Sunday Blue Plate Special?

My Sunday Blue Plate Special is a weekly bargain offer in one of my online stores, posted on Sundays here on my blog, and no place else!

You never know: the special might be a BOGO (“Buy One Get One free”) offer, or it might be a percentage discount like today’s Blue Plate, or free shipping, or a complete giveaway freebie!

Enjoy this week’s bargains, and stay tuned to this blogspot for next week’s special, too!

--MaggieBelize
Bonanzle Booth:
“LocalGringos Paper & Thread”

What’s For Dinner? Local Gringos’ Green Chile Stew

2009-03-21T14:27:00.001-06:00

I can’t believe how many people offered to come over for dinner last night, after I tweeted that I was fixing Green Chile Stew! And it was gooood, too, heh-heh.

Since I didn’t invite any of you over to share the stew, today I realized I could at least share my recipe.

Mind you, my version isn’t completely traditional, but I think an improved variant … try it, see what you think, and post yer comments below!

Local Gringos’ Green Chile Stew

Green chile stew is an ancient dish, first attributed to the Native American people known as the Navajo, or Di’neh. Simple, hearty and filling, today this stew is a staple throughout New Mexico and Arizona, and there are dozens of different ways to prepare it.

This is my own “local gringos” version of green chile stew, diverging from traditional recipes in two respects: I add potatoes, and I don’t use tomatoes. (Why would a green chile stew be red?) But don’t be afraid to exercise your own creativity with this flexible and forgiving recipe … for more ideas, see my notes & suggested variations at the end of this post.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

4 slices bacon
8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
6 red-skinned or gold potatoes, or enough to make approx. 3 cups peeled & diced
1 large yellow onion
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1-1/2 lbs pork shoulder
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ to 1 cup diced roasted green chiles (to taste)
Salt & cracked black pepper

Directions

Pour chicken stock into large Dutch oven or stock pot. Peel and dice potatoes into ½-inch cubes and promptly add to stock. Place pot over medium high heat, covered, and bring to a rolling boil.

Next, brown bacon slices in a large skillet. Remove bacon to paper toweling to drain; reserve. Tip skillet to estimate amount of bacon fat remaining: you should have about 2 tablespoons. Dip out any extra, or make up any difference with olive oil.

While bacon is cooking, dice onion into medium bowl. Peel and mince garlic; add to bowl. Trim fat from pork and cut into ½ inch cubes; add to onions & garlic. Toss to mix thoroughly.

Add pork mixture to the hot bacon fat in skillet. Season with oregano, salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Stir to lightly brown pork cubes on all sides, and cook just until onion is softened and translucent. (Don’t overcook, it will toughen the pork.) Add the seasoned pork mixture to the pot of boiling potatoes. Stir in the green chiles, and crumble in (whatever you didn’t eat of) the reserved cooked bacon.

Return pot to boiling. Adjust heat and maintain slow boil, uncovered, for 45 minutes to one hour, or until liquid is reduced by approximately half and stew is thickened to your preference. (Test the potato cubes: they should be done, but not falling-apart mushy.) Taste for salt and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve hot with fresh cornbread and a green salad.

Notes:

The starch from the potatoes I use thickens the stew, and adds a slightly earthy flavor that I like. Red-skinned “new” potatoes, or Yukon golds, work best at holding their shape in soups and stews, I’ve found.

If you want a more traditional version – or you don’t happen to have potatoes on hand – you can use flour as a thickening agent instead. After dicing the pork, shake the cubes in a bag with flour to coat, then brown them in the skillet.

In this recipe, there’s really no substitute for roasted Sandia or Anaheim green chiles. Here in New Mexico, of course, it’s easy to get locally-grown and freshly-roasted green chile peppers, especially the hallowed Hatch green chiles. Outside the Land of Enchantment, look for canned or frozen in grocery aisles; or, you can order them fresh, canned or frozen online.

Many, many people make this stew starting with water instead of stock. But I’m a firm believer in the magic of homemade stock: it adds depth and dimension to the finished soup or stew, transforming “good” to “great”. I make stock all the time and keep a supply in the freezer for just such an occasion.

And personally, I never add any vegetable or meat to any soup or stew without browning or sautéing it first; my grandpa taught me so and I’ve stuck to it. I also believe that my method of seasoning the meat and vegetables during the browning step, before adding them to the liquid, yields richer flavor.

Variations:

While I prefer to make green chile stew with inexpensive cuts of pork like shoulder or Boston butt, this stew is often prepared locally with beef or lamb instead. If I were to substitute either red meat for the “white meat” pork, I probably would add tomatoes. Say, a 16-oz can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes? I wouldn’t use tomato paste because I don’t like its overly sweet taste.

Once your sautéed meat & veggies are combined into the boiling stew pot, you could also throw in a cup or so of cooked or canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Posole (cooked hominy) is also a tasty addition, but takes the stew in a different direction – posole is a whole ‘nother conversation!

I love using bacon and its rendered fat in this stew. But if you’re more virtuous than I, skip the bacon, substituting 2 tablespoons olive oil.

This recipe also works well as a slow cooker dish. Start with only 6 cups of chicken stock; combine stock, potatoes and browned pork mixture in a large slow cooker. Cook 7 to 8 hours on low, or 3 to 4 hours on high. If too much liquid remains in the pot at the end of the cooking time, remove cooker lid and cook on high until liquid is reduced.

~ * ~

Local Gringos Green Chile Stew recipe © 2009 by Margaret Briggs. This recipe is my original creation, which I’m sharing here for you to use for your own personal enjoyment. Just don’t re-publish it in any form without my permission, okay? Contact me directly via email.

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

2009-03-20T14:20:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my first “Fabulous Fiber Friday”, a weekly round-up of the best of the fiber freebies, contests and sales that’ve turned up through the week.

If you’ve got a fabulous fiber deal of your own, feel free to post it as a comment here (find how-to instructions at the end of this post). The more, the merrier!

Free Knitting Pattern + Yarn Contest at Knitting Daily

Interweave’s Knitting Daily website is offering a free knitting pattern for the Blooming Cotton Scarf designed by Eunny Jang. It’s worked in a brightly colorful slip-stitch.

You have to be a registered member of Knitting Daily to download the pattern, but membership is free, and sign-up is quick.

Even better, if you’re willing to answer a one-question survey – it doesn’t get much easier than that – you’ll be entered in their contest to win enough Tahki Cotton Classic yarn to make your own scarf, plus a free copy of the 3rd edition of Cotton Classic Book from Tahki!

(Pick your favorite colorway in the survey carefully, because that’s the one you’ll get if you win.)

The contest ends March 27, 2009, at midnight MST.

Finding Great Yarn Sales on Etsy: Forum Search

Sales of hand-dyed and/or hand-spun yarns are ongoing at Etsy.com. But how can you find them all?

I’ve discovered that the fastest way to turn up the largest number of yarn discounts is to search for “yarn sale” in the Promotions Forum!

Like so:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_search.php?search_type=forum_title&search_query=sale+yarn

Other Spring Specials on Fiber-y Good Stuff

As the new spring yarns and patterns first roll out, it’s tough to find those special deals. Here’s a round-up to get you started:

NobleKnits offers $1.99 “spring fever” shipping through Sunday, March 22nd.
The kit-of-the-month over at Jimmy Beans Wool is the super soft & luxurious Esprit Chemo Cap Kit, marked down to only $2 (that’s yarn AND pattern). Great opportunity for charity knitting projects!
Two great contests for members of Planet Purl: Knitters’ Guide to the Galaxy (membership is free, of course):

Post a knit-along in the Planet Purl community by April 14th and be entered in a drawing to win a gift pack of knitters’ tools from KnitPicks, including ball winder, yarn cutter, stitch markers, row counter, blocking mat, blocking pins, sock blockers, lace blocking wires, and a pill remover.
Choose your favorite IK Spring pattern to be entered in the drawing for a Namaste Cali Clutch. (Results in the April newsletter.)

Are You Having a Yarn Sale?

If you’re offering a special yarn sale, contest, promotion or giveaway, and would like to share it here on Fabulous Fiber Friday, feel free to post your promotion details as a comment to this or any subsequent Fabulous Fiber Friday post.

Be sure to include your URL link, plus the beginning and ending dates of your special offer!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Sandia Park, NM

Folk Art Flea Market: Frugal Art Finds in Santa Fe

2009-03-19T15:58:00.001-06:00

The Folk Art Flea Market: “Global Treasures, Bargain Prices”

Not to be confused with Santa Fe’s prestigious International Folk Art Market, the upcoming Folk Art Flea Market is also sponsored by the Museum of International Folk Art, but the operant word for this festival is “flea”.

The Folk Art Flea Market offers donated folk toys, dolls, apparel, jewelry, ceramics and masks at comparatively bargain prices. Sales support the Museum’s ongoing exhibitions and educational programs.

We love the International Folk Art Festival, and attend every July. We love that the money directly benefits the artisans who participate. But we couldn’t help but notice that prices have climbed higher every year.

Not to say the art isn’t worth it. It is. There’s a crucial difference between expensive and over-priced. But for those of us on an art budget, it’s nice to know that even folk art can be recycled.

The second annual Folk Art Flea Market will be held Saturday, April 4, starting at 10 am at the Museum of International Folk Art.

And hey, if you’re tired of your carved & painted Oaxacan animals, for example, the Museum can help you find a good new home for them. The Friends of Folk Art are seeking donations of gently used or like-new folk art. Donations will be accepted Sunday, March 29 to Thursday, April 2, from 10 am to 4 pm in the Museum Auditorium.

Free Museum Admission for Rail Runner Riders

And here’s another frugal tip: Through the end of March 2009, Rail Runner riders can get free admission to select museums.

When you ride the Rail Runner up to Santa Fe, hold onto your ticket. With it, you can get same-day free admission to The Museum of International Folk Art, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Palace of the Governors Museum in Santa Fe.

Riding the other way? In Albuquerque, your Rail Runner ticket is good at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

Even better, you can purchase discounted tickets to ride from the New Mexico Rail Runner website.

Super-Simple, Liquid Soap Making … No Lye!

2009-03-18T15:28:00.002-06:00

I’ve spent the last few weeks investigating techniques for making my own soap at home. I had a simple project in mind: I just wanted to make a lightly fragranced, gentle liquid hand soap.

In our household, we garden, we cook and we have 4 cats and 4 dogs; in other words, we go through gallons of liquid hand soap weekly!

But cheap commercial hand soaps are harsh, laden with antibacterial ingredients that we don’t need to use on a daily basis, and most are too perfume-y for my liking.

The higher-priced liquid soaps (I love Caldrea hand soaps, for example) smell better and feel nicer on the skin, but oh boy, are they expensive!

Initially, I was discouraged to find that almost all soap recipes start from scratch, using raw lye. Yikes!

I didn’t want to make the sort of equipment investment that working with lye requires – like goggles! Dedicated pots, pans & measuring cups! Long sleeves! Stand-by vinegar bottle for first aid!

Nope, not for me.

So I veered off into less-respectable, less-documented soap making methods. If you don’t want to handle lye, that means either rebatching or melt-and-pour.

Using either of these methods, you start with pre-made soap. It still has lye (all soap is made with lye), but the lye in this case is “saponified”: that is, chemically changed into a non-caustic substance.

Authentic soap makers will certainly scoff at this approach, but these methods let you make soap in your kitchen without needing a biohazard suit. Or while working with pets and/or children underfoot!

Even though I started with the supposedly foolproof “melt & pour” technique, my, um, creative modifications to the process made that first project almost a complete disaster. I even hatched a Krakatoa-level eruption in the microwave!

But my second attempt yielded exactly what I wanted: a small batch of gentle, good-smelling, liquid hand soap.

I’ll document this more successful version, and share what I learned from the first failure.

How to Make Simple, Small Batch Liquid Soap

Ingredients:

¼ pound "Melt & Pour" Soap Base
2 cups Distilled Water
Soap Coloring (if desired)
Soap Fragrance or Essential Oil (if desired)

Tools:

4-cup Microwave-able Measuring Cup
Stick Blender (or whisk)
Recycled pump-style soap dispenser, or other container for your finished product

1. Purchase “melt and pour” soap base.

For your first attempt, you might as well buy a small quantity at your local hobby store. Later, if you find you like making your own soap, you can scout for higher quality formulations, better prices & larger quantities on the Internet.

For my first experiment, I used a translucent glycerine soap base, which I found too drying even though it's labeled "moisturizing,” and it had a slimy feel I didn’t like at all.

On my second attempt, I used an opaque white shea butter soap base that I liked much better.

Both came from Hobby Lobby, in 2-pound blocks like the one shown here.

2. Next, cut up the soap base.

Because I wanted to make a very small batch, I used only one-fourth of a pound of the soap base.

I cut away the quarter pound from the 2-lb block I’d bought, following the convenient cut lines, and sliced it thinly into a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup (microwave safe).

TIP: In my previous experiment, I actually grated the soap, which was messy and time-consuming. I found that melt & pour soap base melts so easily that grating is not necessary, slicing works just fine.

3. Now melt the soap base.

The soap package instructions suggested heating it in the microwave for 40 seconds on High, which worked for me.

Then I stirred the melted soap to make sure all the slices were completely melted down … you don’t want any un-melted chunks in there.

4. Next, add water to thin the soap so that it will dispense through a pump.

You’re supposed to use distilled water for soap making, but I confess I used bottled water because that’s what I had on hand. After experimenting, I found that 2 cups of water was just right for my blend.

TIP: Bear in mind, I’m working at 7,000 feet elevation in a very dry climate; at sea level in high humidity, for example, you might need less water. Start with less, say 1-1/2 cups. Mix it in, let it sit, see if you like the consistency, then add more water if needed. (You’re working right in the measuring cup, so you can always stick it back into the microwave to re-melt if it sets up on you.)

5. To thoroughly mix the soap and water, I used a stick blender.

You could probably use a wire whisk, vigorously, but the stick blender is really fast and effective ... and besides I love kitchen gadgets.

I got my stick blender at a yard sale for $1.00, but you can also get one on Amazon.com (Rival makes a good inexpensive one).

TIP: I used a spoon to mix my first batch, and had problems with the soap and water separating later. But the soap base I used for the second batch is supposed to hold “inclusions” in suspension better, so I don’t know for sure if the better blending in Batch #2 was due to the stick blender or the different soap base.

6. Optionally, mix in color and/or fragrance.

Allow the soap and water mixture to cool a bit in the measuring cup. There are two reasons for this: one, you want to be sure you’ve added enough water so that the soap doesn’t “set up” too thick to dispense, and two, your fragrance oils are heat-sensitive, and will stay more fragrant when added to a lukewarm, rather than hot, mix.

When the soap mixture has cooled a little, you’re ready to add color and fragrance, if you like. These are completely optional, of course.

While most soap makers measure by weight, in a small batch like this one you’ll measure by volume.

I added 6 drops of green soap colorant (also called soap dye, but not food coloring!) to my white base and got a very pale green tint that I liked.

You can get soap dye in single bottles, or mixable sets, like this one. Don’t be tempted to try food coloring, because the resulting soap mix will stain your hands. (Ask me how I know.)

For fragrance, I concocted a mix I christened “Cedar Berry”, measuring the essential oils by droplet directly into the soap mix:

12 drops Bergamot essential oil (a “top note”)
8 drops Bayberry essential oil (a “middle note”)
4 drops Atlas Cedar essential oil (a “base note”)

Notice that this formulation is three parts top note, two parts middle note, and one part base note. I got this approach to fragrance-mixing from one of the dozens of traditional soap-making books I read, but I’m ashamed to say I don’t remember which one.

And here’s another tip: you can economize on a lot of things, but not your essential oils. I used a really cheap “lime” essential oil for the first batch, and it smelled like a blend of lime Koolaid and industrial cleaner. Yuck.

7. After adding color and/or fragrance, blend again, thoroughly!

I used the stick blender again to completely mix the color and fragrance into the soap base. One bonus to adding color is that you can easily see when your soap mixture is thoroughly blended.

8. Pour liquid soap into new, or recycled, dispensers.

Using a funnel, I then poured my product into two pump-dispenser soap bottles that I’d rinsed out and saved for this purpose … and ta-daa! Custom liquid hand soap.

Notes for Next Time:

As I empty more commercial soap bottles, I’ll try different fragrances and formulations. That’s the beauty of working in such small batches: experimentation is cheap!

I’d like to try adding emollient oils to enrich this basic mix – like olive oil, since I already have it in the pantry – and maybe Vitamin E or coconut oil, too. I may need to add an emulsifier as well to make the oils mix properly. Or, instead, I might try the other melt & pour soap bases available with the emollients included.

I’ll try different fragrance oils, maybe even purchase a pre-mixed scent instead of combining my own. Turns out, I’m not very good at perfume making, and if each scent I mix requires 3 different essential oils, then it's not economical, either.

And some day, when I run out of melt and pour soap base, I’ll try purchasing cold-process soap base to work with, using the rebatch method.

So stay tuned!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website, www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Blog Harvesting

2009-03-17T14:43:00.000-06:00

As I’m getting ready to shut down my old blog permanently, I thought I’d “harvest” the most popular entries from it and re-post them here.

So far I’ve chosen 3 entries from 2007: the New Mexico Fiber Trails Guidebook, the Knitting a Nano Sock project (the first knitting project I ever designed myself, and so of course very easy), and the New Music & Words to Knit By (documenting my discovery of knitting podcasts – don’t laugh, that was in 2007, remember?).

I left these back-dated and pretty much as I originally wrote them two years ago. It’s kinda cute to see what a rank knitting newbie I was then.

You can use the direct links above, or look in the 2007 Blog Archive Folder.

Tomorrow, I’m going to post the most popular blog entry I ever wrote, the Super-Simple, Liquid Soap Making … No Lye! entry. This one I will edit, present-date, and try to incorporate some of the dozens of reader-posted comments.

So stay tuned!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website, www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Introducing … the Sunday Blue Plate Special

2009-03-15T11:37:00.001-06:00

This week I’m introducing a new feature on my blog: the Sunday Blue Plate Special.

The Blue Plate Special will be a weekly special offer in one of my online stores, posted on Sundays here on my blog, and no place else!

The special might be a BOGO (“Buy One Get One free”) offer, or a percentage discount, or free shipping, or a complete giveaway freebie!

Today’s Blue Plate Special:

Bonanzle BOGO on Belize Beer Coasters!

I was thinking that a beer-themed special would be appropriate, what with St. Patrick’s day coming up, doncha know.

So, to kick off my new Bonanzle store, I’m offering to send you one FREE set of my highly collectible Belize Beer Coasters with EVERY set you purchase from me on Bonanzle!

About These Belize Beer Coasters

These are the official Belikin Beer coasters (or beer “mats”, if you prefer), from the limited editions printed by the Belize Brewing Company, headquartered in Ladyville, Belize, Central America.

Since 2006, all the beer coasters printed by Belikin display the main structure at the Maya ruin site of Altun Ha.

The Altun Ha pyramid is the official symbol of Belikin Beer, and is printed on each bottle's label.

But prior to 2006, the Belikin beer coasters displayed the “Belikin Calendar Girls”.

Each year, Belize Brewing selects 12 of the prettiest girls in Belize to feature on its calendar. The photos are shot in the most beautiful locations the country has to offer.

The calendar girls' pictures are used for promotional posters and billboards for one year only; then a new group is selected. And, before 2006, they were also featured on the coasters … but no longer.

So these Belikin Calendar Girl sets I’ve got, dating back to 2003, are really, really collectible. As far as I know, I’ve got the biggest – and the last – collection of these discontinued designs in the world!

How this Blue Plate Special Works

This Sunday Blue Plate Special begins at noon MST, Sunday March 15, and ends at midnight, Tuesday March 17, 2009.
Between now and Tuesday, purchase one or more – as many as you like, no limit! – sets of the Belize beer coasters in my Bonanzle Store.
Enter the magic word “BelizeBOGO” in your note to seller (me).
I will ship your order with one FREE set for every set you purchase.

Cool, eh?

Enjoy the special, and have a Happy St. Paddy’s Day!

--MaggieBelize
Bonanzle Booth: “LocalGringos Paper & Thread”

Margarita: A Salt-ry Tart

2009-03-13T17:20:00.010-06:00

I was just playing with Plinky, a peculiar little website that offers itself as a cure for blogger's block. "Inspiration, delivered daily," it claims. "Because sometimes you need a little push."

Plinky asks you random questions meant to be thought-provoking, writer's-block-breaking, or at least mildly entertaining.

Your answers can be hot-wired into your social networks like Blogger (which explains this post, you see), Twitter, and Facebook, then compared to answers given by your compadres.

So, my Plinky question o' the day was:

"If you were named based on your traits, habits, or likes, what would your name be?"

My answer was Margarita, a salt-ry tart ...

Not entirely sure I get it, but there you have it, a tidbit not too taxing for a Friday afternoon.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website, www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Waste Not, Want Not: Fruit Breads from Juicer Pulp!

2009-03-12T14:24:00.001-06:00

My dad loves gadgets as much as I do, but he tires of his toys faster. That’s how I wound up with his barely-used Hamilton Beach juice extractor.

He’d chosen the 67800H model, shown here. Had it been me, I’d have gone for the more expensive 67650H that’s gotten better Amazon reviews … but for free, what the heck?

My biggest complaint about the (cheaper) 67800H model is the infinitesimal amount of juice the machine extracts from a whopping amount of (expensive) fresh produce.

I was dismayed to see whole apples disappear into its maw, producing maybe a tablespoon of juice? While at least a quarter cup of fruit pulp went into the “trap”?!

I like the fresh juice, and I like that you can use fruits & veggies complete with nutritious skins and seeds … but I couldn’t bear that kind of waste.

When Life Hands You Fruit Pulp …

After some culinary experiments with the pulp that were, ahem, less than successful, I hit on the idea of making “quick” fruit breads with it.

Quick breads are the un-yeasted sort, made from a batter instead of a risen dough. Banana bread, zucchini bread, and carrot bread are all quick breads, and are all based on fruit pulp, right?

My breakthrough discovery, not so startling really, is that you can substitute juice extractor fruit pulp, cup for cup, for the grated or mashed produce normally used in any of these quick breads.

My favorite recipe for fruit pulp reclamation is Beth Hensperger’s Glazed Zucchini Bread recipe, from her cookbook The Best Quick Breads: 150 Recipes for Muffins, Scones, Shortcakes, Gingerbreads, Cornbreads, Coffeecakes, and More.

(Like all Hensperger’s cookbooks, this one is chock full of great recipes that really work.)

I like her Glazed Zucchini Bread recipe because it makes 3 loaves at once that keep well and freeze well. But of course you could use any of your own favorite recipes for similar breads.

So now our standard operating procedure after juicing is to recover the pulp from the trap, and measure it in 2-cup increments (the amount needed to make a batch of Hensperger’s bread) into separate zip-lock plastic bags.

I store the bags in the fridge if I’ll be baking within a day or two; if not, I pop them into the freezer for later use.

And so far, every fruit & veggie combo we’ve tried has worked beautifully in the breads: apples, carrots, pears, celery, kiwis, strawberries, bananas, and, yes, zucchini too.

Produce I probably wouldn’t use? Um, probably not anything strongly savory (onions, garlic) or colorful (beets). But these pulps might make a nice dinner bread, who knows?

If you do some juicer pulp experiments of your own, I’d love to hear about it!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website,www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

The Yellow Pages Project – Crafty Tips from Etsy Artists

2009-03-11T11:12:00.001-06:00

I began my “Yellow Pages Project” last week after seeing a depressingly large bin of new phone books at our local post office.

As we live in a community with few or no recycling resources, I wanted to come up with creative ways to re-use last year’s phone books, to keep them out of the landfill and to tap into a massive source of free paper!

My first stop for inspirational input was the Etsy Community Forums. It’s a fabulous brain-trust of creative artists! I posted my quest in the Techniques & Materials forum, which Etsy members can follow here.

(If you’re not already an Etsy member, go join right now.
It’s free, of course.)

Here are some of the ideas submitted by Etsy artists, linked to their Etsy profiles by way of a “thank you”! (I’ve lightly edited some of the comments for clarity & brevity.)

Art Materials

thecyclingartist: make envelopes with the pages
urbanwoodswalker : Yellow pages are cool. But the color will fade; the inks and the paper itself are very poor quality. I have made sculptural baskets ... but I use adhesives and UV spray varnish coatings to make them permanent. Still, never leave any item made with this kind of paper out in strong prolonged light.
Skinonskinbeautiful : I make paper out of the yellow pages, color bleeds into what mix you have and makes pretty pale yellow, looks ancient.
dmriceart : papier mache is easy to make & use; paper pages are great for collage backgrounds, painted with an opaque paint so some of the lettering shows, but not all! If you glue pages together, you can actually make paper thick enough to form small boxes (see Internet Resources, below). Scrunch and use for 3-D artsy flowers, with a bit of bright paint, and a button middle. Roll, and flatten, then make cool little woven baskets. Sit on them, and feel tall? (That is what we used them for, growing up!)
TheTinyFig : origami?
crochetgal : I've been rolling yarn from paper lately … it’s a fun but messy process!

Cleaning Supplies & Studio Props

Use as 'rags' for paint cleanup (thecyclingartist)
Use them to clean mirrors or windows, with vinegar (dwhitecreations, crochetgal, laksaware)
MadisonHouseDesigns : I was just reading in Best Friends magazine (from a large animal sanctuary in Utah, bestfriends.org) that they use old phone books for their rescued birds, who like to dig their beaks into them. There may be an animal shelter in your area that could put them to good use. :)
akuadesigns : I use them to press leaves and flowers. It's so wonderful in the winter to find all these great dried flowers from the summer.
WhiteDragonPaper : I use mine to drill into with my Dremel. It's good soft protection so I don't drill through my book covers and into my floor or the ground or anything. (I also use them for papier mache projects and recycled paper bowls.)

Internet Resources

Most of these resources on the net use newspapers, but yellow pages paper will work, too!

How to Make a Box from Rolled Paper & Cardboard (YouTube Video)
Similar Paper-Box-Making Videos
The Recycled Newspaper photo group on Flickr, and several more Flickr photo groups including recycled newspaper works of art (suggested by urbanwoodswalker)
How to Make a Recycled Yellow Pages Card Holder (suggested by wiggle)

Project & photo from GreenUpgrader

DIY Sofa from Yellow Pages, by way of CollegeHumor, of course!

Thanks to every Etsy-an who contributed to the Yellow Pages Project. Keep those bright ideas flowing! You can post your comments & links here, or share them on the Etsy Forum thread.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website,www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Vintage Inspiration: Button-Embellished Cardi

2009-03-10T13:21:00.027-06:00

I was thrilled to find this button-embellished cardigan at an Albuquerque estate sale!

Sad to say, I don't know who the original maker was, or when it was made.

It’s a commercially-knit cotton cardigan in luscious grape purple, with dozens and dozens and dozens of purple, black and deep blue buttons hand-sewn up and down both button bands, and all around the collar and cuffs.

In the close-up photo, you can see that the seamstress simply attached each button through the fabric of the sweater with a long running stitch.

Then she used heavy-duty snaps for the actual closure of the cardi.

(Had it been me, I might have used a heavier thread, and tried to bury the long floats inside the button band.)

As it is, a little minor repair work is in order. A few buttons are missing, but easily replaced from my own vintage button collection.

This would be a great project

for vintage button-collectors to re-create!

Buttons, Buttons ...

Have You Got Some Buttons?

Do you have a wondrous box of vintage buttons stashed away in your sewing room or studio? Then you'll want a copy of Susan Beal's inspiring new project book, Button It Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares & More.

Dive into your treasured button collection and come up with one of her 80 crafty projects for vintage-button-embellished clothing, handbags, hairclips, jewelry or home decor!

You can get Susan's book right now on Amazon:

Button It Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares & More

or thriftier still, enter the contest to win a FREE copy from the Dollar Store Crafts website.

Hurry, the Dollar Store Crafts contest ends Sunday, March 15th, 2009, at 5pm Pacific time!

Good luck,

--MaggieBelize

Designer, kNotes for kNitters

Website, www.LocalGringos.com

Sandia Park, NM

Follow-worthy: Indie Art Blog from Down Under

2009-03-09T10:39:00.010-06:00

Woke up this morning to two great surprises: (1) it's snowing, and (2) I've been featured in an Aussie art blog! Woohoo!

Chrisy from Brisbane writes the Sophism Press blog, featuring independent artists & writers. She picks gorgeous stuff to showcase - and no, I'm not just saying that because she picked my stuff. Go take a look, you'll see what I mean.

For her art postcard post, she chose my Hands Knit #1 postcard design, along with an intimidatingly beautiful selection of other Etsy artists' cards ... a quilted one ... a wooden one ...

Here I was worried no one liked postcards anymore!

And she's woven a clever "Postcard from Dulcie" text throughout her mini-gallery.

Thanks, Chrisy! Nice little art break on a snowy morning.

--MaggieBelize

Designer, kNotes for kNitters

Website, www.LocalGringos.com

Sandia Park, NM

What's for Dinner? Lemon-Garlic Roast Salmon

2009-03-08T10:47:00.002-06:00

We don't eat out often. Partly out of frugality, partly from lack of choices in our rural area. So I cook dinner just about every night ... which means every afternoon about 3:30 I start wondering what the heck I'm gonna fix!

Part of my goal in writing this blog is to create my own cooking journal, documenting recipes I liked (or didn't like), strategies and sources.

And, I'd like to share them with those of you who might also be wondering what the heck you're gonna fix tonight?

Last night's solution: Lemon-Garlic Roast Salmon

Salmon is one of the few reliable seafoods we can get up here in the high-mountain desert (I have no idea why), so I'm always on the lookout for new ways to cook it.

I found this recipe in Lynne Rossetto Kasper's emailed newsletter, "Weeknight Kitchen". I subscribe to her newsletter, and also recommend her radio show and/or podcast, The Splendid Table.

This is a loosely-Greek-inspired marinade of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, garlic, comino and chile powder (or paprika) that I used for salmon, but Lynne says works well with other fresh fish.

I liked the chile powder with the salmon, but if you've substituted a more delicately flavored fish, paprika might be a better choice. Especially Spanish smoked paprika, mmm ...

Anyway, it's a short (20 to 30 minute) marinade, then quickly oven-roast the fish with its marinade, less than 15 minutes.

I skipped the potatoes from her recipe -- didn't have time, and I wanted something lighter. Instead I made buttered orzo with freshly grated Parmesan, and steamed broccoli.

Quick, tasty, and a keeper for our dinner rotation!

--MaggieBelize

Designer, kNotes for kNitters

Website, www.LocalGringos.com

Sandia Park, NM

Favorite Foods from Fiery Foods Fiesta

2009-03-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

We went to the Fiery Foods show in Albuquerque last weekend, and really enjoyed tasting all the hot stuff. We were a tad bummed out by the $15 p/p entrance fee, which I thought was a bit much, but other than that, a great day.

I loved more of the incendiary concoctions on display than I could ever list, but here's what I actually brought home in my shopping bag:

AlbuqCookies

As the name suggests, these sweet little tidbits are cooked up locally (by East Coast transplantees).

My favorite, a biscotti-type treat made of chocolate and red pepper, isn't listed on their website yet. (Dudes, update your site!) The photo here is the Chocolate-Pinon version.

In ABQ, AlbuqCookies allegedly can be found at La Montanita Co-op, Kellers Farmers Market, and Model Pharmacy, but I haven't verified this yet.

Sauce Goddess

What first caught my eye was the great logo of this San-Diego based company - then I fell in love with their self-described "obscenely delicious", non-smoky grill glazes & rubs.

Wish I could have gotten them all, but finally narrowed it down to two: "Moroccan Twist Rub Rub" and "Sweet & Spicy Grill Glaze".

You can buy Sauce Goddess online, or at many retail outlets in California - none yet in New Mexico, more's the pity.

Los Cuates Salsa

Los Cuates is a local ABQ restaurant dishing up darn good New Mexican cuisine in general, and a truly stellar cooked salsa in particular.

Their salsa is deep, dark red, gravy-like, with a smoky whiff reminiscent of chipotles - I love it so much I could drink it.

So I was thrilled to find them at the show, offering 16-oz jars for $4, cash & carry! I didn't know you could buy the stuff outside their restaurants, and haven't seen it on local grocery shelves - but I'll look again, just as soon as this jar's empty.

Mmm, mmh! Hot stuff.

--MaggieBelize

Designer, kNotes for kNitters

Website,www.LocalGringos.com

Sandia Park, NM

The Yellow Pages Project - Free Paper, Going Fast!

2009-03-06T11:31:00.010-07:00

Yesterday at my local post office I saw a huge bin of new phone books for distribution to our neighborhood. On the bin was a sign reading "Please Do Not Dump Old Books Here." I guess that means all of last year's phone books are headed for the landfill.

The "Dex" yellow pages volume for the greater Albuquerque area has close to 2,000 pages, plus another 700 pages or so for the white pages volume. Multiply that by the 217,346 households in Albuquerque - yep, I looked it up - and you get a minimum of 586,834,200 pieces of paper dumped in the landfills every year. (Of course, that's assuming that every household has only one set of phone books, I'm sure many have two or more.)

That's at least 600 million pages of free paper going to waste, every year.

I came home with my new phone books, but took our old books - we have one set - to my craft room. This is the beginning of my "Yellow Pages Project": I want to make something with my nearly 3,000 pages of annual free paper!

Here's my first Yellow Pages Project: making paper beads.

I found basic instructions for making paper beads on WikiHow and Paper University. Over at A Storybook Life, she's making them from newspaper; Natasha Fialkov is using origami paper. There are loads more examples, just Google.

Here's a photo of today's Yellow Pages beads, drying now. I wrapped them on recycled cocktail straws, and used a strawberry box for a drying rack.

Tomorrow I'll play with inks & glaze to finish them.

Next up, I'm thinking about papier-mache masks - mADmen? - and maybe bracelets.

Please share your crafty ideas for the Yellow Pages Project by adding your comments & links below.

Let's keep some of those 600 million pages in useful circulation!

--MaggieBelize

Designer, kNotes for kNitters

Website, www.LocalGringos.com

Sandia Park, NM

FREE GUIDEBOOK to New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail

2007-07-22T14:08:00.000-06:00

I just found the most wonderful FREE guidebook at my local yarn store: the guide to New Mexico Fiber Arts Trails.

It covers over 200 local fiber artists and 71 different destinations, organized by region. You can visit artists who weave, spin, make rugs, dye fibers, run fiber farms, galleries, "trading posts" and fiber studios, many offering classes.

How cool! And, I repeat, it's free!

Frugal Tip: You can get your own free copy, immediately! Visit http://nmfiberarts.org to download it.

Or you can request a copy through the website to be delivered by mail. If you're not in a hurry, that's your best bet, because the booklet is beautifully photographed and printed.

Or, get it the old fashioned way: call or write New Mexico Arts, P. O. Box 1450, Santa Fe, NM 87504, 800-879-4278 or (in-state) 505-827-6490.

There are several destinations right here in the East Mountains area, including my local Edgewood yarn store (Good Fibrations) and my neighbor Connie's Shooting Star Farm.

In addition to her alpacas, llamas, angora goats and rabbits, and of course Itty Bitty the donkey, Connie raises Navajo Churro sheep, a heritage breed that was teetering on the brink of extinction ... and is still designated as a "rare breed".

You can read a fascinating account of how Navajo lives and philosophy intertwined with those of these special sheep at Sheep Is Life (Dibe - Dine bi' iina).

All of the artists listed on the Fiber Arts Trails applied to the New Mexico Arts organization to be included in the Trail guide, so you can be sure that they really do welcome visitors. Connie says she's already had visitors from Michigan, Kansas and Wyoming!

However, the booklet recommends that you confirm visiting hours and such before you go. Also bear in mind that sometime this year or next, New Mexico will get its second area code (woohoo!), and some of the telephone numbers listed in the Guide will no longer be area code 505.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website,www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Knitting a Nano-Sock

2007-07-16T14:23:00.000-06:00

Just a quick note before the dinner timer goes off ... I finished my sock-with-lanyard for the iPod! <Taa-daa!>

This project involved two firsts for me: I had never designed my own pattern for anything, and I'd not made an I-cord before.

Yeah, there are a gazillion patterns already out there for iPod socks, but I had very specific features in mind:

For starters, I wasn't gonna use dpns, or two circular needles, or anything kinky like that.
I wanted it done, like, right now, so that ruled out felting.
I wanted it to be sturdy, since I wear it every day.
And, I had to be able to hit the iPod Pause button quickly ... when my dear library patrons ask me questions, they don't give me a lot of time to get "unplugged" to hear them.

So here's what I came up with.

This first picture shows the Nano Sock "open", with its flap up.

And here's the Nano Sock closed, with its flap down and the earbud connector just pushed through the fabric. Very convenient!

I wanted to end up with a sturdy knitted fabric for the project -- without felting -- so I chose a light sport weight acrylic-rayon chenille, very little stretch, that I got cheap-cheap from "Susan's Yarn Barn" on eBay.

(She's a great source of inexpensive chenille, BTW, and a darned fast shipper. But she's moving to a bricks-and-mortar store this month, so her shelves are empty now, till the move is done.)

I downsized my needles to a US 3 to get a tighter fabric. I cast on 20 stitches, wider than the Nano but I wanted the flap wide enough to wrap around the edges; then I decreased down to 14 stitches. (This sock fits over the Nano's skin, by the way.)

Then every so often I carried along a sassy strand of flame-red eyelash yarn for a couple of rows.

The end result was roughly a rectangle measuring 6 inches from cast on, down the back to the Nano's little bottom, then 3 inches up the front.

I keep the Nano in there upside-down, so the earbuds attach through the top flap, and I can easily get to the Pause button. The sock is 2-3/4 inches wide, but 3-1/2 inches wide at the end of the flap.

Finally, I knitted a 4-stitch I-cord -- again, looking for stability -- to make the hanging lanyard.

I wanted it to attach securely, without pulling up the edges of the sock, so I had the brilliant idea of incorporating the I-cord the whole length of the sides.

Stitching the cord in between the front and the back, as a sort of gusset, turned out to be tricksier than I'd imagined, so I think next time I'll stitch the front and back together first, then attach the I-cord.

And I learned that making a 40-inch, 4-stitch I-cord (yikes, enuf hyphens for ya?) is not the most interesting thing I've ever done.

In fact, it sent me screaming out the door to Hobby Lobby, where I purchased a Clover Wonder Knitter.

This is the gizmo I used to call a "Knitting Nancy" only much cooler: imagine if ole Knitting Nancy's head spun around like The Exorcist.

It comes with two wheels to make small or large diameter I-cords, using from 2 to 6 pegs.

What a great little toy! I even -- oooooh so casually -- handed it to my husband, who cranked out about 200 yards of I-cord while watching TV.

Hah! Brilliant! Maybe it should be called the “Tom Sawyer” Knitter.

Now I'll just go bask in the warm glow of a finished project.

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website, www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

New Words & Music to Knit By

2007-06-30T13:56:00.000-06:00

This week I suffered a tragedy: my trusty (old, very old, and cheap) MP3 player bit the dust. It’s tragic because I absolutely must have something to listen to while I do my day job – I’m currently under-employed as a public library page.

(Note: A library “page” is the lowest form of library life, I put books on the shelves all day long. Some days I take books off the shelf, too. For this I got a master’s degree? Yes. So you can see why I need audio input.)

Anyway, my husband gallantly gave up his iPod <insert sound of celestial choir here> to get me through what would otherwise have been a horrifying week. Wow! It’s a whole new world! Now I’ve finally, belatedly, at long last, discovered podcasts.

I started at the iTunes Store in the Podcast department, and just for grins, entered the word “knit” as a search term. Lo and behold, more than 100 entries! And interestingly, some are identified as “clean” and others “explicit”. Hmmm.

Next day on the job, I listened to Knit-Pick’s “To The Point” podcast (clean), and the Knitters Uncensored podcast (explicit). Enjoyed both, and now understand why a knitting podcast might be labeled explicit!

Knit-Pick’s podcaster, Kelley, is planning to work her way through Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitter’s Almanac: a full year of knitting with a different, distinctly “Elizabeth-an” project each month. You can knit along with her, if you like. I have since ordered the book from Amazon as there is not a single copy in the entire Bernalillo County library system, but I’m a little nervous as an Amazon reviewer suggests that these are projects for intermediate to advanced knitters – which I am not … yet.

Knitters Uncensored are three ex-pat pals living in Munich, an American gal, a Canadian gal who only knits scarves in garter stitch, and a guy from Thailand who speaks 7 languages including, he says, Elvish and Esperanto. The ex-pat perspective really interests me after my years living & working in Belize.

While I can’t say that I learned much about knitting, exactly, from Knitters Uncensored, other than a couple of German words for yarn and color, I discovered new music, which is almost as important and sometimes more so.

At the end of their podcast, the uncensored knitters played The Bridesmaid Dress song by Deidre Flint, from her album The Shuffleboard Queens. It’s wonderful! I had to have it! And I can’t wait to hear one of her other songs called “The Boob Fairy”.

Here’s Amazon’s album review, as I’m not feeling especially articulate at the moment:

This Philadelphia singer is in love with language. Verbiage spews out of Deirdre Flint as if she were a caffeine-addled linguist. Unable to resist good fun and the choice pun, Flint trips and traipses through life's little indignities with unabashed zest, addressing everything from cheerleaders to footwear to large bosoms (or the lack thereof). One particularly delightful couplet: "I'm well-bred and you're, well...not." Seven words, seven syllables...devastating. --Steven Stolder

Hurray for new music!

--MaggieBelize
Designer, kNotes for kNitters
Website,www.LocalGringos.com
Sandia Park, NM

Local Gringos: Postmodern Pioneers

Gotcha, Wiley Coyote!

The Dogs Ate My Car. Seriously.

Leon Russell Live at Albuquerque BioPark 5.13.11

The Union by Elton John and Leon Russell, and produced by T Bone Burnett (“making of “video directed by Cameron Crowe)

Trouble in Mind - Leon Russell, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson (YouTube video)

Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishment (tour movie)

Willie Nelson and Friends - Live & Kickin' Starring Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Leon Russell and Steven Tyler (no kidding)

So, happy birthday to the Master of Space and Time. Congratulations on your long overdue induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And thanks for a lovely evening.

Peace,

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Margarita Chicken Recipe

Margarita Chicken

Hugs, Kisses & FREE SHIPPING from Happy Hands Hand Cream

New from ABQ Library: Borrow a Kill A Watt!

Importing Audiobooks from CD to iTunes 10

Before You Start

Import the CD

After the Import

What’s for Dinner? Maple-glazed Sweet Potato Wedges (recipe)

Maple-glazed Sweet Potato Wedges

My modifications:

Addendum

Blast from the Past: Pressure Cooking

Top 5 Reasons to ♥ Electric Pressure Cookers

Best Pressure Cooker Cookbooks

Mad at Apple–iPod Touch Battery Drain

Belize City Attorney Gunned Down

Links:

Derby Duck! My Favorite Roast Duck Recipe, That Is

Foster Dog Graduation Day

Speak Up on Health Care Reform!

Snow Day at Sedillo Hill 03/15/10

Meet Mork! Our New Foster Puppy

Quarreling with Qwest Over the “Digital Divide” in New Mexico

Info Update for Sandia Stitch ‘n Time

Quick Fix for Canon Pixma ip1500

What’s for Dinner"? Emeril’s Boudin with Jambalaya Grits

Great American Road Trip, Day 2

Great American Road Trip, Day 1

Um, is this a rattlesnake?

3 Kitties Find New Homes!

All 5 Kitties Ready for Adoption!

2 Foster Kittens Ready for Adoption!

Knittin’ n Kittens

Update on the Belize Earthquake

Can You Freeze Guacamole?

Better Internet in the Country? Cellular Broadband!

I'm Offline because Dish Network Hates Kittens

New Zealand Knitwear Designer to visit our knitting group!

We’re foster parents! For 5 Abandoned Kitties

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

Fiesta Yarns & Ironstone Yarns: Massive Sale in ABQ

De-stashing some knit notions …

I won a bag of AlbuqCookies!

The balm of new music

A brightly-colored Easter

Easter Snow

Bummer Basket: When Knitting Goes Awry

The Bummer Basket, A Christmas Story

Vogue Knitting Pattern 3-Day Sale

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

EtsyKnitters’ Spring Scavenger Hunt

I Love Things That Work …

More Fun & Games: Instant Random Band

Ode to the Perfect Snowstorm

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

What Your Blog Reveals About You

Were They Kidding? CBS Colonoscopy Contest

… Plus a “Bottom Line” Poetry Contest

… And a Colonoscopy Movie Poster!

Sunday Blue Plate Special: 10% off all Fiber Arts!

This week’s Blue Plate Special is 10% off all of the “Fiber Arts” items in my Bonanzle store!

What’s For Dinner? Local Gringos’ Green Chile Stew

Local Gringos’ Green Chile Stew

Fabulous Fiber Friday: Freebies, Contests & Sales

Folk Art Flea Market: Frugal Art Finds in Santa Fe

The Folk Art Flea Market: “Global Treasures, Bargain Prices”

Free Museum Admission for Rail Runner Riders

Super-Simple, Liquid Soap Making … No Lye!

How to Make Simple, Small Batch Liquid Soap

**Fiesta Yarns & Ironstone Yarns: Massive Sale in ABQ**