The Bryony Cap from Interweave Knits Weekend 2010

Today I knit up the Bryony Cap from the magazine, Interweave Knits Weekend 2010. I just love this hat. It is so simple that I knit it in one day! I used the yarn, Jojoland Rhythm, and it knit up beautifully. I'm so pleased, because this cap it a gift for a friend who is going through chemo right now.

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

I just finished reading "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. My question is how did I get through high school, no wait through high school and college with a degree in English and Writing without having read this classic?! What a beautifully written story of a young girl's journey from childhood into adulthood in Brooklyn in the early 1900's. It's a story of poverty, alcoholism, discrimination, family bonds and the strength of women.

I love to read about characters from different cultures, lifestyles, time periods, etc, than my own. Others lives always seem so much more exciting and interesting than mine. Yet the reality is that for someone who comes from a life different than mine, maybe mine is more exciting to them than there own. It gives me hope for the idea of writing a novel based on what I know.

Hum, a small town girl in Indiana..... could it compare with the life of a girl in one of the most famous cities in the world?

Enough about me. Read the book. If you haven't yet, read it. Every library has it.

Old Friends' Recipes

Some friends at church had a baby, and I signed up to take them a meal. I nabbed two of my favorite recipes and started cooking. In the middle of mixing up the ingredients, it struck me that I had chosen two recipes given to me years ago by some very special women. Connie, Joan and Anna.


When we were first married, my husband and I lived outside Detroit in the suburbs. He was a youth and music pastor at a church in Washington, Michigan. And if you know anything about churches, you know about potlucks. Yum! Potlucks are the best if you're a new wife and inexperienced cook. All you have to do is taste and ask for the recipe. My first recipe came that way.

Connie wrote it down for me. Actually, she got it from Joan, another amazing woman in the church. Everything Joan said sounded so beautiful and sophisticated when she spoke with her Belize accent. I wanted to grow up to look and sound just like her.


Now Connie, oh, Connie. She was the life of the party, tall, thin, always wearing lipstick and nail polish. I didn't even own either at the time. She knew how to make you laugh and make you feel loved. I sure do miss Connie.

But the main dish came from a fellow mom, Anna. She brought Hamburger Rice Dish to me when my first baby girl arrived. It became Jeff's favorite meal. Anna was a young mother, like me, who became a good friend. We spent many Sunday evenings at a restaurant with other young married couples, laughing and sharing stories.


Unfortunately we moved back to the farm when our baby girl was just three weeks old. I wish our children could have known each other. I know Anna would have been a wealth of Godly advice.


I am thankful for these women, and others (like Carol, my very first babysitter) who came into my life when I was young and homesick, needing friendship and  advice, especially advice on how to cook! And so I want to use this post to thank them, and let them know they meant the world to me and are not forgotten.


Who are the women in your past that influenced you?

Race for the Cure - Breast Cancer Walk

Yesterday my youngest daughter and I walked in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. It was a beautiful day for a walk. But to be honest, I walked it in a fog. This year has seen a lot of death due to cancer for me. I find myself blocking memories, just stuffing down thoughts that try to reach the surface of my mind.

Several months ago, I blogged about two hats for two special women. They both have since lost their battles with cancer. Rachel was honored yesterday at the race. I purposely arrived late to avoid memories and tears at the presentation. I did see her son playing with other boys as I walked. Another moment when I quickly moved on to avoid the prick of pain.


The other hat was for my sister-in-law's sister, Lynette. She died of brain cancer a few months ago. I watched my sister-in-law struggle through sorrow at the funeral. She is the last family member. Her mother, father, brother and sister are all gone. She is a true orphan. Yet she has us, the Batman family. In fact, she has been a part of the family since I was a little girl. So in my mind, she's a full-fledged member, having been one of us almost as long as I have.


And just a month earlier, my other sister-in-law's mother died of brain cancer also. I watch her struggle with her grief every time we are together. Now a good friend at church is in the middle of chemo. It has been a difficult year. Cancer seems to be winning. So that is why the walk was so important for me this year. While I didn't let myself feel too deeply during it, I needed to make a stand, to make a statement to cancer. We will beat you, cancer!

So I walked, and I knit a scarf for the local knit shop to help raise money. I'm not so great at giving hugs and saying the right comforting words, but I'll do what I can. Walk and knit. Knit and walk.

What I've Been Doing With My Free Time

Here's what I've been up to lately. It involves knitting, reading a book, sewing and knitting some more.

First of all, notice my To Do List and how many projects are done and how many are left to do. I'm not sure I'll ever get to mark off all the items!

But more importantly, see green knitting object? It's fingerless mittens made out of aMAIZing yarn. That's a yarn made from 100% corn fiber! It's a super easy, super fast project from the book, "One-skein Wonders," edited by Judith Durant. The mittens are for a farm friend who wanted some to show children who visit her farm. I think they'll be done this weekend.

I'm also in the middle of a great, classic, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn," by Betty Smith. I'm really enjoying it. Read it, if you haven't already.

But my most time consuming project is a lace shawl pattern from www.knitpicks.com. The Seasons Shawl is a kit, pattern and yarn included. I'm loving it. My wrist is not. I'm nearly done, but ran out of the blue yarn and had to order more. I watch out the window all day long, everyday for that special little box from Knit Picks.

My shawl got too big for the bag I had it in, so I got ambitioius and made a project bag. I just started cutting a sewing and presto, a bag. Isn't it cute?


So there you have it...several weeks of fun in a few quick pictures.

A Thought to Ponder

Tonight while driving home I was listening to a past Midday Connection podcast http://www.moodyradio.org. The guest, Jane Rubietta, http://www.janerubietta.com/ made a comment that tug at my heart. She said,

"Women who are loved become lovable and loving."

I started thinking...


Who are the women in my life that I love and do they feel loved by me?
Do I show unconditional love or is it love on my terms?
Do I move beyond my selfishness to love them as they need loved?
How am I going to love better tomorrow?


What about you? Who do you love and how are you doing at loving them?

Caught in the Act of Cheering!

Number 33 is daughter number two. She wants to be known for dribbling, shooting, hitting and catching.

 But I have just as many pictures of this special photo session with her sister's cheer leading uniforms....

Hee, hee!