Worlds best potato soup

I got up this morning and said to myself "today I shall make the worlds best potato soup. Wich is slightly odd as I really don't like potato soup. But I figured if I make the worlds best potato soup I may in fact like it. And it started off slippery but ... well here let me tell you how it happened. I have never made potato soup so I peeled 12 med small potato's. Its a good number and seemed like enough. I cubed them and pitched them in the pot. I cut up a large onion and half., after I launched about a quarter of it across the kitchen floor it ended up being about one huge onion. I sautéed them in unsalted butter. Salt will separate the fat from the cream and milk and that's not good .I then lightly sautéed a pound of sliced mushrooms. All this in said pot with 33/4 cups water equal amount whole milk and one and half cup cream. add to this some chopped fresh cilantro, tarragon, teaspoon of Worchester shire sauce the juice of a whole lime and a half a cup of vodka. Oh and then I added a whole polish kielbasa sausage cut up. On serving sprinkle shredded parmesan cheese over the top then add kosher salt. It was killer good!! I ate one bowl and was instantly in heaven. It isn't your usual potato soup and for me that's a good thing. Especially since there is a ton of it! The problem I kept running into as I went was that it was tasting a lot like potato soup there for a while. So I kept thinking of what might help the flavor or lack there of. And its really friggin awesome now! Does anyone truly like potato soup? I cant get past the wall paper paste taste. But I have proved you throw enough stuff at it and it will turn into something grand!!

Men-O-stop

Men o pause. Nope, Im now in Men o stop.  And it does follow menopause for sure. I have officially decided that single is the way to go. I have had moments of fleeting longings for a companion, but they are soon followed by memories of bargaining and compromise. In my world right now there is none of that business. I do what I want when I want, or even nothing at all. I am captain of my own ship and it is wonderful.  I have yarn stored all over the place and no one asks if I  really need that new skein I'm contemplating purchasing. I know deep down on some level I don't need it, but I don't care, want is important to satisfy too sometimes. I no longer have to be sexy for anyone. That is tremendous. I don't have to try and look like Im 21 or even 30 anymore, huge relief. I have gotten use to the new invisible me. In the old days as a young women you always get noticed. You get help in a store ,you get men rushing to fix things for you. Now when I walk in a store nobody sees me. I am invisible. At first that hit me with great sadness I didn't know how to take that. But its really so freeing. And I am totally ok with it. As Far as attracting the opposite sex I no longer even think about it. At my age the older men that would look to my age group are just about in need of a walker and a diaper change. Not going there, they are really only looking for a caregiver. The last few good years I have left are mine! And I deserve them! So that's it for today, be kind !

rip friendship bread

I regret to inform you that I have killed my friendship bread starter.  It was either let it all die, or join a church under false pretenses just to meet more people to take the  unending bags of baby starters this stuff produces. I figured if I joined a church at the rate of once every three months I may find enough takers to keep this whole thing going.  I've never been a hypocrite before and for the sake of friendship bread I just couldn't see starting now. Not that I have anything against church I don't, I just couldn't use God one more time in an hour of need. You know we all have done it. Oh Lord please keep this tire going till I make it home and Ill never...........You know the drill you  have done it. Any way don't ask how I killed it -it  was in cold yeast  and I am so ashamed. I have been keeping up with the bobbin lace and so far I have made a wad of threads that vaguely look like lace. I thought at one off moment (after my heinous crime spree) that I should just give this up and move back into a hobby I have mastered. Where is the challenge in that one hugh? So I have dived ever deeper and am trying to learn as I go. My friend Starr (did I say I would protect the innocent- not here baby) has given me some pretty Russian Tape lace patterns and I'm going to get started on those asap. They were totally free patterns that had no copyright infringement on them. Not that a fine criminal like myself would worry about it, (I can kill in cold yeast remember) but my friend does. Besides rest assured my finished product couldn't possibly violate any ones copyright- it never looks like it is supposed to!!   One day it might, but most copyrights need to be renewed in 25 years, so by the time I get this, the pattern maker will most likely have died or have failed to re copyright their pattern. This is an adventure. This week I made three pairs of baby shoes out of the fabric scrapes I got and they turned out really cute. I wont be selling these pairs ,but I will make more in the future to sell when I reopen my ETSY page. Gotta run ( have nothing to do but watch the Gatsby but I wanna do it now so signing off!!!

Today was day six of my friendship bread experience. For the past few days my new hobby was uneventful. Everyday I got up ran to the direction sheet and read the days instruction, so far each day was the same "mush the bag". Seems no specific requirements on how long or even how to "mush " the bag were given. It was left to each new recipient to use their own creative license to come up with their own technique. On day three I left it close to the air conditioner.  I am bonding rather well with this starter so I just intuitively knew that this cant be good for her. She wasn't puffed up and she just looked wimpy. I found her a new and warmer location, she liked it much better and we were both happier for it! Today was a big day! Today I added more sugar, flour, and milk to the mixture- and to celebrate I mushed vigorously to old rock music! Well needless to say we were both worn out from the jubilation that we both retired early.

Lace and friendship bread!

   Lately I have gotten involved in a lace making group. It would seem an odd thing to do when lace is machine made now days and sold by the mile for a price about anyone can afford!! Well that's me I am always off re-inventing the wheel so to speak. The group I joined is a well diverse group of women from all walks of life. I have always wanted to learn to tat and make bobbin lace. Over the past thirty years I have collected bobbins for lace making, in hopes one day I would settle down and try and learn. The day has come, and I have created the ugliest lace book mark known to man, and in doing so have learned the basics for bobbin lace making! Lets just hope it gets better from here on out. As far as tatting goes I have been able to make a few things with this. But I find I enjoy decorating tatting shuttles the most. I now can feel some of the pain my parents must have felt on Christmas morning as I spent time making forts of the boxes while a ton of beautiful toys sat ignored. I have stacks of pretty threads who sit idle while I am busily decorating shuttles!! Last nights meeting was fun and everyone was in good spirits. At the end of the meeting a member announced she had friendship bread starts if anyone was interested. How exciting! She handed me a bag of "starter" and an instruction sheet. Day one, do nothing! I can do that!! We are off to a grand start. Day two, mush the bag! I can do that too! I'm practically a genius at this bread stuff!!I intend to blog this adventure as it goes along! We have a demonstration at Fort Walla Walla this weekend for lace making and weaving and spinning. All of which I do and enjoy.  Really, I hardly have any time at all to go to work, but since supplies are not usually free I guess I will have to find the balance.

Redoing the sewing room... again!!

 Well Im cleaning the studio! The sewing room got a new dresser to hold fabrics and misc. stuff! And boy oh boy there is a ton of stuff!! So today is finishing touch day, Im at the vacume dust and shine part! Then Im ready for a season of creating. I find fall my biggest inspirational time! I just love fall. Its still light out fairly late, and yet its not so bloody hot that you cant work inside and outside! I also love the fact that the fallen leaves hide my crappy lawn!! All sewing machines will get cleaned and oiled and they will purr like little kittens!! I cant wait. I got two bags of fabric scraps off of freecycle!! Not that I really needed anymore fabric , but its like more colors of paint on my pallet. I thought about seeing how much money I could generate off these two bags of killer Vintage fabrics I got. Are you jealous yet?? I was so lucky!! So I decided to keep you updated on the monitary acheivement off of my fab freebies. I may even post a pic or two. Im all about upcycling now. Ive seen some awsome sweater coats and things made of old cast offs. The challage to make cool stuff out of old clothes and things is just too inviting. Since I dont have time to be anyones mommy and do the the things I love I've pretty much given up on dating. I figure men die before women anyway and we have to learn to live alone, often when we are most vulnerable- why wait! I love living alone! If I want to eat the center out of a watermellon and pitch the rest I do!! To quote Gloria S. " I have a hard time breeding in captivity!!" It must be so, Ive been married a half a dozen times already, and its so awsome until after the "I do " part. So often it ends up being "well I did". And I end up starting all over again. Im kinda sick of all that moving in and out business. So Im going to be wildly successful at my arts and crafts as well as make sure my fav Docs have enough needles to poke who ever they want! Its all about the energy!! So while I still have some, Im off like a prom dress after midnight!!

A Sad Year later or so later

Well I have started my business. It took a quick turn back to the start line. The before mentioned man that was going along in this journey took off and left me holding half a dream alot of fabric and a crumpled business plan. But as most affairs of the heart go, it took many months of healing and repair and now I am back stronger, better, and way more talented then before- so I took over the art studio and am off and running again on my own!! I love working for and by myself.  I dont have to share the scissors or tape and I think all my ideas are hot! So now that, that has past- look out Im creating again!!