3-12-2011 Shamrock Cupcakes

It is our turn to provide 'snacks'

for coffee hour after church

tomorrow morning...

so today I baked

8 dozen

Shamrock cupcakes

(green & peppermint)

which I will frost and decorate

in the morning...

we also plan to serve

GREEN

grapes, peppers, broccoli, celery and dip.

3-11-2011 Rainbow Dinner

Made some purple cabbage salad for dinner tonight...

It was a beautiful rainbow of colors!

3-10-2011 Tai Chi shoes

Check out my fancy new footwear

for my Tai Chi class!!!

3-9-2011 Finito!

Today I finished the fingerless gloves

that I've been knitting for my DH.

3-8-2011 TianKong Choir

Last night, DH & I attended a choir concert

performed by the TianKong Choir of China...

next weekend they perform in Chicago

at the National Music Directors Conference.

They were AMAZING!!!

3-7-2011 King Cake

I'm making a King Cake to celebrate Mardi Gras!

One last sweet indulgence before Lent...

Mardi Gras purple/green/gold decorates the top

and cream cheese/tart cherries fill the center!

3-6-2011 A Pleasant Surprise!!!

DH & I got home from church this morning

and drove to our mailbox to pick up yesterday's mail...

which included this adorable 'mouse pad' for our computer

from my dear sister-in-law!

Thanks so much, my dear... I love it!!!

What an unexpected and pleasant surprise! :*)

And speaking of knitting...

here is an update pix on my current project:

fingerless gloves for my DH...

(see my post on 2-26-2011)

3-5-2011 The Planets

 planet Uranus

photo by Hubble telescope:

 'former' planet Pluto

photo by Hubble telescope:

Tonight DH & I attend the symphony performance

of Gustov Holst's "The Planets" (1916)...

a seven movement suite portraying each planet's

astrological character:

1) "Mars, The Bringer of War"

2) "Venus, The Bringer of Peace"

3) "Mercury, The Winged Messenger"

4) "Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity"

5) "Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age"

6) "Uranus, The Magician"

7) "Neptune, The Mystic"

Each of the seven movements

was accompanied by a high-def short film about the planet

(created by José Francisco Salgado of the Adler Planetarium/Chicago).

It was mind-blowing!!!!

3-4-2011 Hobgoblin

Saw this at the grocery story today

and just had to pick them up

and give them a try!!!

:*)

3-3-2011 Gluten Free

^ Chef Monika in her 'Charlie's Angel' pose...

DH & I attended Chef Monika's

Gluten Free cooking class last night!

We learned so much

and had a fantastic meal!!!

3-2-2011 Flat As A Pancake

Glad it happened in the garage

and not on the snowy roadside!

2-26-2011 Baby, it's COLD outside!

Oooooooo, baby, it's cold outside...

so I decided to stay indoors

and start another knitting project:

fingerless gloves for my DH:

I also finished reading this book (again!)...

and started this book...

I'm hoping it will help me

with my Tai Chi class (which I love!!!)

at the YMCA!

2-24-2011 Blueberry Blizzard

This unexpected and pleasant surprise

arrived in the mail on Tuesday (2/22)

(Thanks, son!!!)

and we enjoyed several slices

of this delicious blueberry coffeecake

with a cup a decaf

and some scrambled eggs

for breakfast this morning.

2-23-2011 Snowboarder Hat

On it's way to my S-I-L...

2-20-2011 Not Your Average Flute!

This contra bass flute

is not your average flute!

DH & I attended a 'flute concert' this evening

and saw lots of different flutes we'd never seen before,

covering a range of 6 octaves!

2-19-2011 Tax Prep

DH started organizing papers for taxes today...

thanks for all your hard work, sweetie!!!

2-17-2011 Birthday Cake

Tomorrow is my DH's birthday

so I baked him a

'Cold Water Chocolate Cake'

(one of his mom's recipes)

with cooked fudge frosting...

Happy Birthday sweetie!!!

2-16-2011 FOG...

San Francisco has got nothing on us...

check out this Iowa fog!

Ya gotta love

the midwinter thaw!!!

2-15-2011 Use it or Lose it!!!

My Tues-Thurs aerobic weight training class...

this YMCA has some fantastic instructors!!!

2-14-2011 Always on the Move

 My awesome yoga teacher is always on the move

so all I could get is a blurry pix...

his M-W-Sat class FILLS this huge room:

2-13-2011 A Valentines Celebration

My Valentine/DH & I dined

at Jeff and Chef Monika's B&B

(  http://www.chestnut-inn.com/  )

to celebrate our love this V-day.

Words cannot describe

how delicious the food was...

how fantastic the service was...

and how wonderful the evening was.

Thanks so much, Chef Monika and Jeff!!!

2-12-2011 Hope it Fits!

Another knitted hat/beanie completed!

2-11-2011 Hill Country Hat

 Today I knit gauge swatches

and began knitting a "Hill Country Hat" (beanie)

for my dear S-I-L...

using the Univ. of Iowa Hawkeye colors.  :*)

2-10-2011 In Search of Aran

DH & I took a road trip today

in search of Aran...

an Aran sweater, that is...

came home with this beautiful work of art:

2-9-2011 For Nancy

A knitted hat with Chicago Bears colors  :*)

...to keep you warm while ice skating!

2-8-2011 It Feels Good

...to finish another knitting project...

a Chicago Bears hat for my son.  :*)

2-7-2011 It's a Good Day

to be a Packers fan!!!

Thanks for a wonderful time at your Super Bowl party!

2-3-2011 A Good Day to Stay in and Knit

 Knitting my son a 'Chicago Bears' hat...

now that he's a homeowner in the burbs

and needs to go out and shovel snow...

figured he could use one!

2-2-2011 An All Day Job

It will be an all day job

to shovel the driveway...

but still can't go anywhere

as the snow plows haven't cleared the streets...

The weathermen predicted 10-14" of snow...

they weren't far off!!!

The snow comes up to my husband's knees

and when I measured it... 17"

The drift by our front door...

2-1-2011 Wrist Warmers

Finished knitting up these wrist warmers/fingerless gloves today...

just as the big blizzard hit!

These are made from the leftover yarn

from the Winter Olympics Hats I knitted...

and heading to Maine

as soon as I can get to the Post Office!

1-31-2011 Blizzard

heading to the QC!!!