potato chip scarf

I always enjoy making gifts when I can. Not sure if the recipient is always happy about that. I started knitting this scarf a couple of months ago with no plans for it. As Christmas approached & I learned that red is Yizhi's favorite color, it seemed like giving this scarf to her would be a good idea. It was fun to knit. Yizhi has it wrapped around her neck a couple of times but you can still get the effect.



potato chip scarf pattern:
cast on 20 stitches
knit 8, turn
knit 8 turn
knit 6, turn
knit 6, turn
knit 4, turn
knit 4, turn
knit 20
repeat pattern until desired length.
I used size 9 needles with a worsted weight wool yarn. Use the largest needles suggested for the yarn you use. I had to knit a few inches before I could see the curls beginning.

more wheels

Dad with his '97 Mercury Grand Marquis at the local golf course.



Angie, Don & Cheryl's daughter, photographed in Omaha.



Amber, Gene & Jean's daughter, lives in the coutry.



Briana, Connie's daughter, photographed in Omaha.



Ashley, Nancy & Mike's daughter, photographed in Hastings.



David is Ted & Yvonne's son. Nancy got this photo this summer out at the farm.



Jenny, Betty & Ron's daughter, photographed in Beatrice.



Becky, sister to Angie, photographed in Alabama by her sister.



Kendall, Gene & Jean's son, photographed in Lawrence.



Chelsey, Dale & Colleen's daughter with her Explorer. I think she's driving something more reliable now.



Krista, Connie's daughter, in Omaha.



Daniel made it into two calendars.



Brandon, Betty & Ron's son, photographed in Beatrice.



I want to thank everyone who let me take their photo!

Dad & Daniel

Daniel is between school & employment this week so it was a good opportunity for him to join me in a visit to see Dad. He treated Daniel & I (and Gene & Maxine too) to a fried chicken dinner at Dick's Place & afterwards we checked out the coffee table Gene is finishing up for a client. A good trip.

taking a break

Cooking & cleaning today in preparation for guests. Taking a break from it for a few minutes & found this while surfing the web. It's a fun ride from my seat in front of the computer. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

spaghetti with chickpeas

I like hummus. So does Don. So quite awhile ago I thought I would make my own hummus. And I stocked up on garbanzo beans. I must have had at least a half dozen cans in the cupboard. Made hummus once. Still buy it ready made though. So when I found a recipe to use up some of those beans I tried it. We like it so much that I used up that last can of garbanzo beans last night. It's a recipe where I can keep the ingredients on hand & make it on short notice. Don's comment one night when I made it was "this is really good". This from my meat loving spouse.

Spaghetti with Chickpeas

3 slices bacon, diced
one yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken stock (I mix chicken bouillon in water)
15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 lb pasta

Brown bacon in skillet. While it is browning, combine garbanzo beans & chicken stock in food processor or blender & blend until finely chopped. Add onion & garlic to bacon; saute until translucent. Add in garbanzo beans & tomatoes. Pinch of pepper flakes. Heat sauce until bubbling. Meanwhile cook pasta in boiling water as instructed on package. Drain pasta & combine with the sauce. Salt & pepper to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired.
To see the original recipe look here



I found a great idea for freezing bacon. Roll up 2 slices or so at a time & place rolls in a ziploc bag then freeze. When you need bacon it's easy to pull out a few slices.

circles of light

When I read about how to make photos like these I wished I would've figured it out myself. It is a fun thing to play with this time of year. Do it in the evening with the other lights off in the room I took these photos with my point & shoot camera. Put the camera in macro mode with the flash off. With the camera pointing at the tree put your hand in front of the camera for it to focus on. Remove your hand & this is what you'll get. Try it!

Final project

Our Photo IV class met for the last time last night. We were allowed to bring a guest. Don joined me & ended up being the only guest. Barabara maintained her ritual of sharing her Altoids with us. Don made sure she didn't forget him either. It was a fun evening looking at the final photos everyone picked. Several people did not come for the final class but we did end up with five of us displaying photos (trees, circles, birds of prey, tools & people wearing masks). We had enlarged our photos to 8x12" and then secured them to mat board. We had to write a statement about our project & read it to the class. Afterwards we did a bit of trading. I came home with three enlargements & two 4x6" prints of other classmates. Some of the photos here I've posted already. The first photo was taken in Don's garage & the last photo was taken in Dad's garage. The rest I took in my living room. It was a great class. One I may take again.





















"A good photograph challenges the viewer to be a better observer."
Barbara Hagen
SCC Photography instructor

more tools

I'm hopeful that weather won't cancel my final photography class tomorrow night. First snow & today it is raining! Once I got out of the garage I thought my spoons & forks would be interesting. I have a living room with a southern window that lets in some wonderful light in the afternoon & early evening during this time of year. I had a fun time arranging my silverware on a white foam board (it looks gray in the photos). I did enjoy how these turned out. A lot of photos I discarded because I found myself reflected in them. You will find me in one of these photos though.

wheels

For the past several years I have taken photos for a family calendar. One of my extended family & Don's too. Last year for the first time I had Apple print the calendars which saved me time & was a better quality product. So this past year I have been photographing relatives with their mode of transportation. Don's family have their calendars already so I'm not ruining any surprises here. So in no particular order here are their photos. The first being Don's stepfather, Herb, with his '88 Ford Ranger XLT.



This is Matt, Amber's husband, holding his son, Hudson, and standing next to his '89 Ford F350. The odometer reads 55K but it only reads up to five digits.



Jean, Terry's wife, is here with her '09 Chevy Suburban. Her Great Dane, Maggie, is with her. She got the SUV with a bench seat just for Maggie.



Sharmin, Terry's daughter, is here with her children, Paxton & Ivy. She drives an '11 Honda Acura MDX.



I put my camera on a tripod & photographed myself with my '03 Honda CR-V. Don leaves enough room in the garage for me & his motorcycles.



Yizhi, Austin's wife, drives a '96 Honda Accord. Austin taught her to drive this car. It took her three attempts to pass the driving test, which she thought was pretty good compared to other people she knows.



Don is here with his '09 Triumph Street Triple R & '05 Honda CR-V. The favorite story about his motorcycle is that Angelina Jolie may have ridden it in the movie "Salt".



Rex, Don's brother, drives a '94 Chevy Corvette. I took this photo of him at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky last April.



Pris is Rex's girlfriend. She sent me this photo of herself with Lake Hartwell in South Carolina as the backdrop. I forgot to ask if this is at her home or Rex's since they both live on the lake. Beautiful backdrop.



Terry, Don's brother, is here on his '03 Harley Davidson Deuce sports bike. I took this in the Badlands on our way to Sturgis in August. Another beautiful backdrop.



Daniel drives an '04 Honda Civic. Manual transmission. This is one of my first photos using off camera flash.



Austin is here on his '83 Honda Magna. He replaced almost every part on this motorcycle. He said "it hasn't stranded me anywhere in a whole year" which is saying a lot. Yizhi is sitting on the '73 Yamaha AT3 125 which is the motorcycle Austin first rode on & an old one of Don's from college.



Amber, Terry's daughter, is holding her son Hudson. She drives an '06 Chevy Tahoe Z71. I took this photo in a park in Norfolk. I was pleasantly surprised by the color of the trees in the background.



Liz, Terry's daughter, drives a '98 Pontiac Sunfire.



Louie, Sharmin's husband, is here with his stepdaughter, Langley. He drives an '09 Chevy Suburban. He manages the Scheel's store here in Lincoln so it was a fitting backdrop.



Caleb is Sharmin's son. He drives a '99 Chrysler Sebring. He attends Southwest High School which is where I photographed him.



It was a relief to finally gather all the photos. I think photographing people with their cars if fun & later a bit nostalgic as we look back at them. I do have an idea brewing for next year thanks to my aunt, Elaine. We'll see if it happens.