Thursday, July 11, 2013

Forever in blue jeans, babe

Earworm inspiration
Pretty in pink
And miles to go before I sleep....

Events like the Tour de Fleece are great excuses to accomplish goals. My problem is, when I set goals, that I get somewhat focused on those goals – like obsessively focused on those goals! (Heh; this is not news to some of you.) I've been spinning quite a bit . . . and want to be spinning when I'm not. It's a rather unsettling state of affairs; reminds me of when I used to be a bookworm. I was either reading or wanting to be reading.

That preoccupation can make me feel like I'm a slacker in other areas, but I really haven't been. Brian is still getting supervised (I spin on my miniSpinner while he's practicing his keyboarding skills, and spindle when he's doing math), my horse is still getting schooled (in preparation for our upcoming show), the garden is still getting tended (weeding and watering is ongoing, and yesterday I picked six freezer containers of cane berries), and I'm still feeding my family well.

Yesterday this arrived in my inbox. Hmm, I knew I had a handful of produce ready for picking in the garden; this sounded like the perfect use for them!
A minuscule orange cauliflower and a dozen green beans

Our first tender, tiny zucchini, green peppers, and cherry tomatoes

These were combined with the last of our spinach and a few volunteer swiss chard leaves, the pullet eggs, and a very few other ingredients to produce . . .
MMM, MMM, GOOD!

Served with homemade bread; we ate like kings last night!

Oh, and I've been exercising more, too; that always makes me feel better about myself. Brian likes to ride bikes, and has dreams of saving his money and buying a nice Trek mountain bike. Monday he asked if we could stop by the Newberg Bicycle Shop (where I saw the "fiery furnace on wheels") so he could drool. I stood around looking at miscellaneous stuff while the shop attendant talked with Brian. He had homed in on a certain bike, only to learn that it was the ladies' model. The attendant pointed him to the men's model beside it, and explained the differences. A little light bulb went off in my head; I'll bet my used Fuji women's mountain bike doesn't fit me! At 5'8" with an athletic build, I'm not a "typical" female; my old Schwinn Varsity 10-speed is a men's bike. (Yes, I still have it, but it isn't suited to the gravel roads and steep hills around here.) The Fuji hurts my knees and makes me feel like I'm precariously perched over the front wheel, so I have demurred when Brian asks me to ride bikes with him.
Tuesday, Brian offered to switch bikes with me. Lo and behold, his old Schwinn men's mountain bike doesn't hurt my knees or feel unbalanced! Guess I need to sell my Fuji and look for a men's bike now . . . my thighs will thank me later. ;-)

That's it for now from . . .

9 comments:

Susan said...

I had the same recipe land in my email box! I am going to make it tomorrow - I'm starting to get actual produce every day. Such a joy! I have been looking at bikes, as I would like to ride more and use my car less around my area. I've found a hybrid Schwinn that looks promising. You are making great progress on your spinning! Wish I lived closer, because I'd love to learn how. Guess I will have to liberally use YouTube...

Tombstone Livestock said...

Would love to watch you with the Turkish drop spindle, yarn looks so perfect and uniform. All I get from Ashford drop spindle is lumpier that yarn from my wheel.

Anonymous said...

You're doing so great, not only with that gorgeous spinning but staying on top of everything else! Go mom!

Michelle said...

Susan, it appears to be a very adaptable recipe; I changed it a bit and it was still wonderful. I'm going to start looking for another bike as soon as I sell my women's Fuji; ride your new bike out here and we'll spin together! Audrey, come join us!

Wanda, I'm staying on top of SOME things. We won't take about the state of my house....

Thirteen Sheep (Or More) said...

The spinning, all of it, looks wonderful. I'm especially impressed by the spindles and really think I need to get one.
Happy biking!

Kim said...

I love that blue yarn but I'm going to be singing that song all day now!

Michelle said...

I think you need to get one, too, 13. ;-)

Michelle said...

Is that a bad thing? ;-)

(Shameless confession: I think Neil Diamond's voice is sexy.)

Anonymous said...

I gave my racer away many years ago because riding here in NH is pretty tough... there is only up it seems and I am not that friendly with "up" lol! You are an inspiration though, exercising, spinning and healthy eating... OMGosh, lions and tigers and bears! :D
Hugs and have a fabulous weekend,
Beth P