Happy Birthday Grandpa!
8:26 a.m. - 2008-09-19


My Father-In-Law is having a birthday soon, and I am supposed to bring the cake. He requested whipped cream for the frosting so that is what I am making. I looked at a few of my cake cookbooks, and so far I have made some chiffon cake layers using 'A Piece Of Cake' by Susan G. Purdy, and some meringue layers from the same book. I am now working on the filling which will be a raspberry whipped cream, and I will frost the whole thing with regular sweetened whipped cream and top the whole thing off with shavings of white chocolate. After sampling some of the pieces of the meringue layer which fell off when I accidentally squished one side with the pan, I was impressed at how delicious it is. Eggs were almost $6 for 18 at the S@few@y. The spouse reminds me that they are much much cheaper at Tr@der J0es. Not that I bought the $6 eggs, but still.

I can now easily walk for two or three miles without feeling like I am going to collapse. I listen to my radio show while walking, so I didn't notice at first how much easier the walking had gotten, but now I am remembering how when I first started walking, I was exhausted by a walk around the block.

I am almost done sewing Abby's PJ tops. I still have to hem the sleeves and put in the buttonholes and sew on the buttons, but I should be able to finish it for her to pick up this weekend. I am knitting on some new cardigans and on the February Lady Sweater for Melissa. This is a top-down raglan garter/lace topper that resembles the baby sweater of similar name. I'm not sure what I am going to do with the design of the other cardigans, but the first step was to put away all the junk we stacked in front of the knitting machine during the window replacement, which I did. I am embarking on a cleanup of the sewing room, but it has to be tackled a little at a time or I will give up on it. Next up are the baskets under and to the side of the ironing board to sort out and remove. Hopefully they are not holding the ironing board up because that could be bad. I am using up the yarn leftovers by making hats for the rescue mission.

One project I have been working on is to make some pillow cases for the big pillow we set at the head of the bed. So far I have made a wild red/orange one and used up some old cotton fabric, and also one out of rich red decorator fabric. I would also like to make a plain white one with a band of knitted lace or crocheted lace. Still working on the Mexican Peasant blouses (this project was interrupted by the construction). I should be able to start sewing the red one together soon.

No more Psyche, Monk, or Burn Notice for awhile. I need some Amazing Race or Survivor to put some zest into my TV viewing.