Lots going on

So I’ve been busy doing the nurse thing (see last post). And wow, suddenly I realize just how much housework R. does around here. Several weeks of having to do it all myself AND keep the place particularly clean at doctor’s orders has been quite a chore. I’ve been a cat-box-cleaning-vacuuming-bathroom-scrubbing-laundry-folding fool.

R. was able to go back to work on Thursday, and today left for a business trip to France. (Yes, I’m jealous.) The doctor gave him somewhat reluctant permission to go, and I hope he’s not taking on too much. But a few days of MUCH warmer weather, palm trees and a nice ocean breeze will do him good. He goes to this particular music convention in Cannes every January and it’s the highlight of his year.

This means I’m alone until Thursday afternoon, and I laid in some supplies and am ready to be a hermit for awhile. Except for tomorrow, when I’ll hopefully have two knitterly friends coming over.

I didn’t make the “typical” kind of New Year’s resolutions this year like losing weight / exercising more / whatever. But I did make some very specific ones. So here are the things I’m going to do in 2009:

1. I’m going to read a minimum of 52 books a year (one a week) – I even joined the Ravelry group for this, although I haven’t introduced myself yet. (Note to self: do so immediately!) This one isn’t too hard, actually, and seeing as how I’ve already plowed through Knit Two by Kate Jacobs (pretty dumb), The True Story of Hansel and Gretel (excellent), Dead Until Dark (entertaining, I’ll be getting the rest of the series) and am now reading a mystery whose title I can’t remember and it’s upstairs….anyway, this will be a breeze.

2. I’m going to knit one square of my long-neglected Lizard Ridge Afghan a month. Haven’t done January’s yet, whoops.

3. I’m going to try a minimum of 50 new recipes this year. It can be anything from casseroles to salads to baked goods, but I’ll probably try a lot of “easy” meals for those busy weekdays when I don’t have the time or energy to cook anything complicated. I’ve already tried out two recipes, and even took photos, how dorky is that?

Ugh!

The first recipe I tried was a truly awful cabbage stew. I’m not that crazy about cabbage – I love sauerkraut and I don’t mind it in stews, but I got one in our weekly organic food delivery and it needed to be eaten. But this recipe was just WRONG. I won’t even link it, because I got it off a food blog that I normally enjoy reading, and hey, it’s just a matter of taste. But I need to remember that I DON’T LIKE CARROWAY SEEDS. Blech.

Number two was a basic tabbouleh recipe I got from epicurious.com, my first stop when I go hunting for recipes. Easy, tasty, and will be made again (although I’m still looking for the PERFECT tabbouleh recipe!).

Not ugh!

Exciting, ain’t it?

I’ve been knitting, but not too successfully. I cast on the Gathered Pullover on New Year’s Day, but maybe I was stressed out and knitting tightly when I swatched, because a few inches in my gauge changed like nobody’s business and the thing was HUGE. So I started over and all seems to be well. This sweater is a simple, flattering knit that I will wear a lot. Pictures will be taken when it gets a little interesting.

I’ll end this post with a picture of our next door neighbor, the River Elbe. Brrrrrrr…..

C-c-c-cold

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