Mariannes Motifs

Knitted a hat

About once a year I get a "craft bug" and decide to try a new type of project.  About 3 years ago it was knitting (again) but I never finished the scarf I was making.  Truth is  I am a terrible knitter.  I am adding stitched, dropping stitches, some are big, some are small....its a mess.

So this year I heard about the knifty knitter, a knitting loom and decided to give it a try.  In the course of the weekend I made a hat!  Here is Adam modeling the hat for us.  This was made with a Bernat cotton 4 ply yarn.

Pancake Puffs

My 4 year old Ben was enthralled recently by the infomercial for the Pancake Puff pan.   The commercial made him instantly hungry for jam filled confectioners sugar coated pancake puffs and he was very disappointed to know that I could only make regular old pancakes for him.

So when I was at Walgreens the other day and saw that they had he actual Pancake puff pan, for pnly 19.99 I was right there and bought it.  Ben's been HOUNDING me to make these and I have been avoiding it for about 2 weeks.

Well.... I finally made them this morning and let me tell you they were TASTY.  I did some research and discovered that these are some sort of Danish specialty called Aebleskiver (apple puffs).  I learned that they can stick and the secret is to use alot of oil in the little holes in the pan.

So, armed with my Shake and Pour Biquick, Polaner Strawberry Allfruit, and Wesson Oil, and Confectioners sugar, I went at it.

I mixed the pancake batter in the shake and pour thing, as per the directions.  Those things are handy.  I heated up the pan and poured oil in each of the little cups.  Then I dropped a bit of batter in each and then stuck some jam on top.  I found that if you kind of poke the jam into the batter a little bit it helps it get into the middle of the pancake and not ooze out although some will.  Then flip em and pop them out.  If you use oil, they don't stick. 

I sprinkled powdered confectioners sugar on them and they went like hotcakes.   They were yummy and both kids and adults ate them up.  I wish I got a picture but they were pretty much gone before I thought of it.  :-)

Tax Rebates, Consumer Ecomomy

Somethings is very wrong here folks.  They want us to spend spend spend and not save anything.  Don't think about the future folks, just borrow money today to prop up the broken consumer driven economy.  Got last years model ?- throw it in the dump. Don't worry about the environment.

Don't worry about fuel costs.  Don't worry about people in other parts of the world that want a part of the consumer life we lead in the US.  Just treat them as a market, cheap labor, and if you think you can get away with it maybe a dumping ground for chemicals we won't allow you to throw out here.

HERE IS MY FIX on both a personal and Government level.

Stop spending money indiscriminately.  If you have to buy something buy a good quality version that will last.  Consider hand crafted goods.

Start saving more. Make sure you are putting at least 10 % of your salary in your 401k.  Max out those Roth IRAs.  Pay off consumer debts like credit cards and then stop using them.  I think the next place the credit crunch is going to hit is the availability of credit cards and consumer credit, so guard your credit score zealously.   Did you know employers now will check your credit when you are applying for a job?  If your credit is already bad, don't despair, just start cleaning it up little by little.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither will your retirement.

Government promoted  savings accounts:   We need a tax incentive for people to start saving.  If people have better savings, it protects them from so many ills - payday loans, driving without insurance, even homelessness.  When you have no cushion of savings, when life's surprises come at you you are just not prepared for them.  We need a tax incentive or some sort of incentive for people to create a savings plan for themselves.  Perhaps a government match of a percentage taken out of the paycheck and put into savings that must be left there for at least 1 year?  This is money that can be used for things like buying a car, a house down payment, etc. 

US Must continue to Lead in High Tech, Green, and Sustainable Markets

As a country, the United States can continue to be a global leader.  But lets not just be a behemoth of hamsters on wheels buying the latest Chinese manufactured goods on sale cheap at Walmart.  (Note - please no offense is meant to either the Chinese people or to Walmart employees)  What is going to work better for us is the following.

Dominance in High Technology:  High tech is the answer to doing things cheaper, better, more efficiently, greener, and safer.  How do we continue to dominate in high tech - put money and attention into our school systems.  And not just how well kids do on a standardized test either, but well rounded education in arts, and sciences.

Tax incentives to companies working on Green and Sustainable technologies:  These are the answer to overflowing dumps, running out of fossil fuels, and the dreaded global warming.

If you got this far, thanks for listening.

Marianne

Mercury Opera Guild featured in Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

My Dad, Art Axelrod, is a board member of the Mercury Opera Guild in Rochester, NY.  They are a young opera organization that brought together groups that had brought opera into the city, and organized trips to regional opera houses.  Now, they stage their own performances multiple times a year!

Another thing they do is community education.  My Dad does opera talks at local libraries and other sites around town.  They were written up in the paper  - here is a link to the story.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008801230308

Rest in Peace Uncle Dan

My Mom's Uncle Dan died on Saturday.  I will miss you Uncle Dan, and always remember you.  My Grandmother Thelma was Dan's sister.

Bert and all the family - I am also thinking of you and sorry I could not make to it DC to attend the service and be with you.

Here is his obituary as it is published in the Washington Post.

Daniel E. Schwartz
SCHWARTZ DANIEL EDWARD SCHWARTZ On January 19, 2008, of Silver Spring, MD. Devoted husband of 66 years to Bert Schwartz; loving father of Ron (Margaret) Schwartz, Irene Shere, Sue Schwartz (John Richardson) and Terry (Robert) Fitz; and grandfather of Holly and Brett Shere, Lindsey and Liza Fitz, and Stephanie Schwartz. During his illustrious 35 year career with the Department of the Navy he designed submarines and airplanes and won a Presidential Medal of Honor for the design of bomb releases that saved thousands of lives during WWII. While working for NASA, he was project director for the first Lunar Excursion Module. Graveside services for family will be held on Monday, January 21, at Judean Memorial Gardens, 16225 Batchellors Forest Rd., Olney, MD. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice.

A Picture Post - Robin

As the snow is melting, I saw this little gentleman outside my window and tried to snap a picture.

Snow Day in Atlanta

I grew up in Rochester, NY, so I am quite familiar with snow and lots of it thank you very much.  But, I've been a carpetbaggr down here in the South for the last 13 years or so.  A snowy day down here is a rare thing worthy of bundling up and running around in the 1 inch of snow pretending we can make snow angels and snowmen in it.

Here's a picture of my front yard this afternoon.

Cheers!  Hope everyone is keeping warm.

Marianne

Ah to be young

Rolling down the hill
Without a care in the world
Watching the sky fly by
Watching the ground roll round
Shrieking with joy
Grass in our hair
We don't care!

Resolutions and To Dos

NFL Quarterback with Crohn's Disease

"You have to keep your dreams alive. You can't just hope and wish. You have to take action and make it happen both in your mind and in your heart."

I have a new hero!  His name is David Garrard, and he is the quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaquars.  He also happens to have Crohn's disease.   Here is a link to an article on him on the CCFA web site (Crohn's and Colitic Foundation)

CCFA Article on Quarterback with Crohn's Disease

David is my new hero.  If he can get out there on the field and throw the ball with 250 plus pound guys ready to sack him into the ground at any given moment, then I think I can get up and admin and email server or two.  Rock on, David Garrard!