Now I hate chicken.

Something happened. I don't know when. I thought maybe I just hated the chicken breasts that greathusbandbob made (which are objectively very good- I just can't.). White chicken chili was once my favorite thing. Surely it can not be a part of my psyches protest against chicken. But it is. <sad face>

I'm wondering if hormonal pre-menopausal stages also bring changes in appetite. Some food just makes me so mad.

I made a dog but Knitnightgina assembled it. It has gnome friends.

 

His name is Murphy- made while watching Z-Nation. In an ironic twist, Amanda's alligator is chewing on his leg. This scene was followed by several more and if you know anyone who is hiring independent contractors to create hilarious knitted toy tableaus, I may be able to hook you up, (that would have been so funny if it were crochet.) People may having been smiling curiously at us in Panera's.

The next gnome has been started on size 10 needles with four strands of Elsbeth Lavold's silky wool.

 

The gnomes are to be a fixture of knit night until it gets boring- with more to come until snow can make me laugh instead of gnomes. Also why does autocorrect keep trying to capitalize Gnomes? Also in the works in my head is a size 2 needles/sock yarn version of the dog. Puppies!

 

Mini-Plated

 

Blue tortilla chips to accompany tomorrow's white chicken chili will look fabulous on this most recently painted plate.

Also I do not want vacation to end.

 

Watchadoin'?

It's thanksgiving break and I am doing three and a half things.

Knitting.

Watching black and white movies on YouTube.

Reading.

Napping.

I say three and a half things because I seem to only manage a paragraph or two at a time before napping.

I'm reading an Erik Larson non-fiction account of the US ambassador to Germany just before he start of WWII. There are too many quotes from this book that fit today. Also, while he craftily documents and creates stories from artifacts, it's still pretty thick reading and I've given up trying to keep accurate track of who's who in the story.

The black and white moviethon had Orson Welles as a lawyer fighting against the death penalty and another movie called "Joe Macbeth." A film noir gangster version of Macbeth. I caved and purchased YouTube Red. Mostly because the commercials are three times as loud as most of the movies and they scare the shit out of me every time.

This is a sneak peak at knitting- I can't wait to assemble!

 

Cousin is having a holiday meal at the drop-in center today which I've decided relieves any formal gathering on our part. We will be taking pies to aunt in the afternoon for a visit. (Lemon meringue and pecan- made by Giant Eagle). I'll also take cousin to Bob Evans on Saturday. She said "they'll probably have leftover thanksgiving turkey, if not I'll just get a turkey fork and knife sandwich."

Time to read some more (wink wink nod nod)

 

The Hangover

As soon as I had a moment with one of my third grade classes on Wednesday morning, they asked me who I voted before. Even before I could answer, grinning ear to ear, they said "Donald Trump won!" The conversation snowballed into "I'm glad he won Hillary was going to take our guns and close the coal mines." I got a handle on the conversation, stated no opinion (as teachers are instructed to do when it comes to politics) and tried to explain amendments and how they are overturned to a group of 7-8 yr olds.

As soon as these words were spoken, images from Sandy Hook Elementary flashed through my head and really it was all I could do just to understand gravity and make it keep,working for me.

Today I listened to a podcast called Trumpcast produced by Slate News. Jacob Weisberg was interviewing a white high school teacher from an all black high school. They discussed the difficulties in coping with what the election told them about our country etc. In the end the teacher talked about the comfort of unity and togetherness that all experienced as they shared their fears and emotions.

Here in western PA, western MD and most of rural WV (where I teach) if we supported Hillary, we did not have that luxury. We are from another planet.

And while I keep my politics out of my classroom (especially the black and white minds of the very young), it is absolutely soul sucking not to be able to publically condemn all that is wrong with what happened on Tuesday. Where is the line between avoiding political views and teaching little ones to be good citizens. I guess for now I know where I've chosen to place it. I'm just not terribly proud of the things I am not able to teach.

Below is the innocence of the birthday banana split from Sarris'. Consumed on Tuesday night before the results came in.

 

Also, who can watch Negan on the walking dead when there are real monsters soon to run the world.

 

Birthday update.

Celebratory ice cream for lunch on Saturday. Not only celebrating the b-day but also celebrating the completion of the most difficult task in wallet replacement- the DMV.

 

Fancypants lunch on Monday. Nurseshelly made crab dip- I brought the things you don't have to cook.

 

We ate birthday dinner at my favorite hole in the wall Lebanese restaurant where the wife/waitress forced shawarma instead of my usual gyro platter. She kept saying "you try something new... you might like." She was mistaken.

There was ice cream cake when we got home.

 

Greathusbandbob sang and didn't get all weepy like he did when he and aunt sang on Sunday.

We waited for an hour to vote today, ate some Mexican food for lunch and picked up my newly detailed car. Tonight we head north and it's a "the election is over and yesterday was your birthday" party at Sarris' ice cream parlor with knit night friends.

Two days of school and another day off- the following week begins program prep and then off we go into the holiday season.

I'm still double knitting hearts because I like the color combos.

 

New dawn new day.

Item the one. The non-verbal kindergartener (not diagnosed with anything but will probably be on the autism spectrum) spoke in my room today. And spoke and spoke and spoke. In the past he might communicate with a whisper. Today we were playing with the chant "Mabel Mabel set the table don't forget the ___ ___ ___ " where kids fill in the blanks with food and practice clapping the syllables. The aide sitting next to him was whispering "turkey" in his ears trying to get a response and he up and shouted "NO! NOODLES!" He spent the rest of class talking and talking. I would say everyone stand up he would repeatedly say "I can't stand up." (While he was standing). Then he changed it up after a while and said "I can't sit down!" Last year in pre-k his favorite sound was the sound of the bus brakes which he would do every time a bus arrived. What a win to watch it happen.

It's pretty hard to top that. Greathusbandbob had a WVU shirt (that fit and was cotton instead of nylon) and a Penguins hat hanging in my room this evening. Start of the birthday festivities.

I finished the never ending cardigan by Hannah Fetig at knitnight on Tuesday. Right sleeve longer than the left because measuring. It's actually called the Effortless Cardigan. It's a great pattern and the second time I've made it. Dog nails and life took a toll on the first one. It's in a lightweight dark blue alpaca and as of now fits mostly like a short bathrobe. Just as the other one did. And yet I am pleased.

This inspired knitting corner overhaul as I often do after a big project. This helps me see how many unfinished projects I have and check to see if there are any I want to finish. Finding plenty unfinished but none that struck my fancy I did this- which will likely become one of those unfinished items later on.

 

Don't even bother to squint to see the colors. This bad photography could probably start a new "what color is the dress" meme. Trust me when I say that they are fabulous and time for daylight pictures will reveal all.

No! NOODLES! What the what?

 

You Scream, I scream...

NurseShelly and I eat lunch together. After my success with plating cheese and crackers we decided to collaborate. Last week she made spinach dip and I brought mini bread bowls from which to eat it. No pictures. This week I was in charge of lettuce, tortilla wraps, apples and caramel dip and she was the boss of the chicken salad.

 

It's not such a great plating job but I have visions of a new plate in my future. Now that the plate has a purpose I may be more inspired design-wise. (To be continued.)

Next week is birthday week. I will bring shrimp cocktail for lunch because birthday. Nurseshelly will find something to accompany it. It's good that I'll be eating healthy at lunchtime as I am asking to have my birthday dinner at Bruster's where so far the top pick is this-

 

Dinner on the knitnight 8th will be here-

 

Sarris Ice Cream

It will be an ice cream sort of birthday.

In school hilarity, I asked young children (age 5) why we don't have school on November 11th. Guesses included summer vacation, because it's his birthday and "because we need a day off." When eventually got to calling it Veteran's Day (as a lead up to singing You're a Grand Old Flag and pretending to be in a parade with mini flags) one girl thought maybe Veteran's day was the day we take our dogs to the vet.

Greathusbandbob is trying to recapture the "Men of Mayberry" glee from last month but it's the intent and presentation that he's got going for him. A man's shirt two sizes too small in a fabric that induces an immediate hot flash will likely be returned. Let's Gooooooo Mountaineers,

 

We're taking cousin to Prime rib night in the burg on Friday- the weekly Walmart trip will follow. Hopefully a trip to AAA on Saturday morning will complete the lost wallet card replacement process.

The end.