Yes, I've Still Got the Baby

Although my last 2 posts were not about the baby I am supposed to be taking care of here in Minnesota, I am still taking care of him and here is a picture to prove it. Okay, so I'm not in the photo but that's because he's cuter.

3 Kittens and a Yarn Garage

Another great day in Minnesota! 2 friends went with me today to check out 2 yarn shops in the Twin Cities. First stop was 3 Kittens Needles Arts where I bought some patterns and yarn I didn't know I needed.

Guess I'd better get busy since some of the projects are intended for Christmas presents.

After yarn we were hungry and ate at a fabulous Italian restaurant called Buon Giorno Italia where you can choose your ingredients and they toss 'em up for you. I, of course, chose pesto...because it's the besto. From there were were ready to tackle the Yarn Garage.

Here we are in a picture taken by the owner as we were in shock from all the yarn:

A Special Treat

The baby went to visit his friends at day care yesterday morning and I ran over to the local bakery for the best donut holes in the world and a cup of Chocolate Macadamia Nut coffee. YUMMM! Weve really miss Braschler's Bakery since we moved away. They've changed names but they will always be Braschler's to us. I ate my donuts and watched the Ellen Degeneres show. That's my idea of a great morning.

Trains, Music Videos, and Friends in Pajamas

I spent Thanksgiving Day travelling by train from Chicago to Minnesota where I am taking care of a 10 month old baby. I arrived about 9pm and planned to walk the 2 blocks to their apartment but was instead greeted unexpectedly by a knitter friend. You know who you are, and THANKS! As we were getting in the car, the friend I am babysitting for came running down the street with her daughter, both wearing their slippers and pajamas! What a great surprise welcome back to Minnesota.

The baby and I are getting along well on this, our first day alone. We'll be hanging out all of next week while his mom and sister are out of town. They tried to fill me in on what he likes, including the online video by Timbaland called "Apologize." Okay, so it's not a kid-friendly video but he just likes to dance to it and it's familiar while I am not. Here he is gettin' down:

Dressy Veggies

Have you heard of the 100-mile diet?

From the website 100milediet.org: When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles—call it "the SUV diet." On the first day of spring, 2005, Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon chose to confront this unsettling statistic with a simple experiment. For one year, they would buy or gather their food and drink from within 100 miles of their apartment in Vancouver, British Columbia.

While I think it is an awesome goal, I am not close to being there yet. I admit that I love the luxury of buying avocados, lemons, limes and so many other foods year 'round. I am, however, making an effort to buy local, seasonal produce which also means that I am learning how to cook things I've never cooked much before. I picked up a butternut squash at Ridgeway Market in Bangor, MI the other day and cooked it up for my folks last night:

Candied Butternut Squash with Cinnamon and Honey

1 large butternut squash, quartered lengthwise
3 - 4 TBSP melted butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
scant 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Scoop seeds out of squash. Arrange pieces, cut side down, in large baking dish. Pour hot water in the baking dish to a depth of 1/4 inch. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until tender. Cool and peel. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and place in 9 X 13 pan. Mix butter, honey, pecans and cinnamon and pour over squash. Bake 15 - 25 minutes, until glazed and hot.

It All Depends On What You Call It

On Friday my nieces came to visit. They have visited many times before, and I've visited them in their new home many times already. This time was different, though, because it was An OFFICIAL Slumber Party.

They informed me ahead of time of the ingredients of a true slumber party: chocolate cake with pink frosting and "Slumber Party" written on top; movies; staying up late; a pillow fight; fingernail polish.

I added a few surprises of my own, including gaudy, plastic clip-on earrings for everyone and a pile of books from the local library. I made a giant bed in the living room for the girls and me to share. I think it was a great success. They seemed to love it, until I turned into a grown-up and turned over and went to sleep. We didn't quite make it to midnight as Cheyanne had hoped.

Room for Growth

We had a huge tree taken down yesterday. It was very tall and on really windy days it seemed precarious above the power lines. With other trees around I didn't think it would reveal enough sunny ground for garden next year, but now I'm beginning to wonder. I would love to plant a veggie garden in the spring and maybe now I can.

A Fall Snack

Do you have any pumpkins left? My favorite fall treat is roasted pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin Seeds
Wash seeds and boil in water for 10 minutes. Drain well. For each cup of seeds, add 1 TBSP melted butter and 1 tsp worcestershire sauce. Pour onto cookie sheet (preferably one with a rim). Sprinkle with salt. Bake 30 - 45 minutes, or until crispy. Stir every 10 minutes.

Love and Loss on the Prairie

The scarecrow sighed. "Of course I cannot understand it," he said. "If your heads were stuffed with straw like mine you would probably all live in beautiful places, and then Kansas would have no people at all. It is fortunate for Kansas that you have brains."

- L. Frank Baum

I just got home from my Kansas vacation. Have you noticed that people don't usually vacation in Kansas? They drive through it or around it, or they've heard of it but haven't spent any time there. I won't bother to explain the beauty there. You have to experience the sky, the open spaces, the people, for yourself. I just returned from my trip to Newton, KS where I saw many old friends and met some new ones. It was simply wonderful to be around people I've known for so long. I let my friend Christy take care of me while I was there. What a gift!

We had a Happy Adoption Party on Saturday for the little boy I used to have in foster care. He will turn 11 years old in January. His new mom is amazing! She has high expectations for him and he is rising to meet them. He can walk, albeit unsteady, while holding onto one of her hands. His therapist says he may be able to walk unassisted within 6 months. Unbelievable!! I wish I could post a photo, but since the adoption isn't finalized I will have to wait.

While we were there a very dear friend, Larry Voth, died. He's been very sick for almost 7 years and was really suffering, so I'm grateful his suffering is over. What an honor to be included as part of the family for his last hours and in the planning of the memorial service. Larry was the pastor at Community Mennonite Church in Markham, IL when I was a child and their family has remained an important part of our lives. They moved to KS in 1973 and he became the Director of Development at Bethel College and successfully recruited me to attend college there, which shaped the course of my life.

Now I'm home in Michigan again and will be going to Cadillac, MI for a training next week. Life goes on.