Chicken Broccoli Crepes

Many years ago, when my oldest daughter was about 11 years old, and we lived in China, Maine, I used to make crepes a lot. I bought a very nice crepe pan, and fancied myself to be quite evolved in the cooking world. That's a joke.
Anyway, I found this recipe for Chicken Broccoli Crepes, and I made them. My oldest daughter fell in love with them, and I made them for her quite often. As years went by, the crepe pan was forgotten, and the recipe as well. We got talking about it not long ago, and she and her sister both remembered the recipe, and how much they liked it as kids. So since today was my oldest daughter's birthday, I searched google til I found a recipe that sounded like it, and went shopping.
It isn't a difficult recipe, so I don't understand why I dirtied every dish in the house, but it did take quite a while.
I faintly remembered there being a learning curve about the crepe, and the temperature of the pan, and success.
The first crepe was awful, and I began to worry that maybe it had been too long. But the second crepe turned out awesome, and I was inspired. The crepes were flying out of the pan in no time.
Then I cooked chicken, and cut it up, cooked broccoli and cut that up. I made a white sauce, and added cheddar cheese to it, and some seasonings, and saved some to put over the top of the crepes before I added the the chicken and broccoli to it. They only go in the oven for 15-20 minutes, and they were a big hit.

My husband made lasagna for the meat lovers/veggie haters in our family. And of course it was wonderful.
And we had a loaf of locally baked Italian bread, which was devoured.
And of course CAKE.

I had intentions of taking pictures at this birthday get together, but between the good food, screaming kids, laughing, talking and generally spending time with my family, I forgot all about the camera.
Next time.

I am off to dream land.........good night all.

My New Career.......kidding!!!

Last November, I got a call asking me if I would give a talk at the Fort Ann Rescue Lady's Auxiliary, in March. I don't remember what I was doing, but for some reason, I said, "sure.......I would be happy to". Then I promptly forgot about it.
Several days ago, there was a message on my machine at the studio, reminding me of my commitment. Holy cow. Did I say I would do that???? What WAS I thinking?
I had a moment of panic. What would I talk about? What if they fell asleep? What if? What if? What if?
Well, you know that goes.
My husband, dry as usual, said......."just open your mouth and talk, you'll be fine"...........my friend, Sheila said,"you'll be wonderful". None of this made me feel warm and fuzzy, but I knew I had to figure it out. The first thing I did was get some rugs together, a blue jean rug, an Adirondack Lodge rug, a few different Solmate Sock rugs, a Mimi's vintage rag rugs, some place mats, and some totes. Then I made up a basket of the stuff I use to make the rugs, to make it easier to explain.......a ball of prepared blue jean strips, the socks and toe clips used to make the sock rugs, strips of the upholstery selvedge used to make the Adirondack Lodge rugs.
I decided to just wing it, and take my husband's advice.
Most of the ladies there were my mother's age, and actually I felt very comfortable with them. I just told them my story, how I started weaving, how it turned into a business, and how I found the house in Kingsbury that became Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio.



I guess I talked about an hour, and they were all very attentive, and interested. Afterwards, they all came up to tell me how much they enjoyed it. In the course of the talk, I said that I was happy to be 62, and done with nursing. They told me that they were SO surprised at my age, they thought I was in my LATE 40's.........imagine that??? Well, even if it is not true.....it was nice of them to say.
Does anyone ever mind having someone think they are younger than they really are????

So I came home, and told my husband I was going to be a motivational speaker in my spare time.
He is used to my antics, so his answer was no surprise.
"What spare time?"
But actually, I was thinking about it, and what better way to promote yourself, than to tell groups of people about what you do? And especially groups that have actually ASKED you to be there.
So I have to think about that one.


Tomorrow it's back to work on custom orders.
And I have to make chicken broccoli crepes for my daughter's birthday dinner. I haven't made them in donkey years, so I hope I remember how.

You notice that all the pictures I put up hide my extra 20 lbs?
I was pretty pleased with that maneuver.
But not so pleased with the 20 lbs.
I have to get serious about losing it. Unfortunately, I love to eat, and I hate the cold, so I don't go out and walk as much as I should.
Thank goodness, spring appears to be imminent.
So I need to get moving. So if I DO become a motivational speaker, I won't have to hold rugs up in front of me.
:)

Is it spring yet?

Kizzy does not look all that inspired, does he? I was weaving placemats today, and he wanted my attention every minute........this is him after I put him down for about the fifth time. Now he is going to just keep his eye on me.
Placemats are very time consuming. I like making them, I love the way they turn out. But I have to be in the mood for them. These are made from previously sewn strips of fabric, wound into balls. They are very popular, and I never have them around long. I just made 3 sets, and they are all sold.

Tomorrow I am giving a talk at the Fort Ann Lady's Auxiliary, about Crazy as a Loom, how I got started, and what I do there. I have rugs and other stuff ready to go, but as much as I have tried to rehearse what I want to say, I think the best way to go is just to start. After all, it is my story, I should know it by heart. I just hope that they find it interesting, and don't fall asleep.

Like Miss Puss is about to do, in one of her favorite sunny window spots. Sometimes I watch her, and Kizzy, and I think about how comfortable they are in their little world......that is a gift, to be happy where you are.











My Eddie, at 12, doesn't see so well any more......unless you throw his tennis ball, and then he will amaze you. He is getting a little gray, and he is deaf as a stone........but he is still a very sweet boy. As you can see.



Have you ever heard about stratifying seeds???? I bought some heirloom seeds, and read the back of the package, and it said they have to be "stratified". Great. So I went to google.....and it said that the seeds had to be mixed in damp peat moss, and kept in the refrigerator, to mimic winter, for 4 weeks, then planted inside. So that is where they are, and I hope it works........I am supposed to check them periodically to see if any sprout, if they do, I need to plant them right away.
I bought a bunch of seeds, not sure what I was thinking.......a lot of them need to be planted inside. I have no idea where to do that. If I put them downstairs, the cats will tip them over, no doubt. I can't put them upstairs because there is no heat up there. I am tempted to plant the hollyhocks outside. How about a cold frame??? Hmm. There's an idea.

I am going to be in the local weekly newspaper this week. Twice a year, the Chronicle does a "Women in Business" issue. I missed it last time, but this time I made the deadline and made out the questionaire. I even sent them a picture of myself.
Small town girl makes good.

Husband of the Year.

My husband is always saying that I never write about him on my blog.........it is true, I take him for granted. And I shouldn't. I guess it is just because I am so comfortable, and feel so safe, and that is a wonderful thing. I never imagined a relationship could be like taking a breath. Just that normal.
My husband is a good man. I mean it. He is. He makes my life easier every day, and he is always interested in what I am doing, and what I am about.
He is also an honest politician. He really does say what he thinks, and what he means, and he never backs down, even if it isn't popular. I really love that about him.
He also makes great spagetti and meatballs, and the BEST chicken parm ever.
We may not be young, but he is the love of my life. And even better, he is my best friend.
So here's to you, Mr. Bill, you really are "still the one".

Simple moments

Finally warm weather, and the snow melted enough on the bike path, so Eddie and I could walk our favorite route.
This is the dam across the Hudson River. I love the sound of the roaring water.
My husband says this is a power plant, but I have never seen any activity there. It is a neat brick building, nonetheless.

Eddie loves to walk down here. As soon as we head down the road towards the river, he gets excited. It is a great walk. We occasionally meet other people walking their dogs, but not often.
And when we do, Ed is almost a perfect gentleman.

My daughter and her boyfriend are vacationing in the Florida Keys. They sent me these pictures.
Aren't they fantastic? I want to swim with dolphins.....it looks like an incredible experience.
Isn't it amazing that the simplest things make us so very happy. And most often, they happen when we least expect them to.


When I spent a couple of days with my middle daughter this past week, we went to an organic restaurant for lunch. It was an unusual occurrence, for the two of us to be alone together, without children. We talked, and I told her about a memory I had, of a few moments in time that for some reason stuck in my head. Several years ago, my husband to be and I were working on an apartment we were getting ready to rent. We were plastering the upstairs, and making an awful mess. Sometime during the day, I went down to the house, and brought back a cardboard box, with hot dogs, rolls, mustard, relish, chips, and drinks. We sat together on the floor, eating this lunch. For some reason, with the sun streaming through the windows, sharing this simple fare, I realized that my life had changed. After some tough times, I was happy, and content. I knew my life was going to be OK.
Today I got an email from my daughter. She said that having lunch with me the other day at Everybody's Cafe, was a "hotdog moment in Putnam" for her.
Wow.

The labyrinth.

Finally, today, I walked the labyrinth. I can't believe how much I have been looking forward to this, waiting for just enough snow to melt so I could see the rocks. I walked it with my camera, and I walked very, very slowly. I love slowing my brain down and waiting to see what impressions pop up while I am walking. Taking pictures of it gave me lots of different perspectives.
The one thought that occurred to me was this. There are so many times in life when you think you are so close to the answers you are looking for, and yet they are out of reach. You go in all different directions, but try as you might, you just can't quite get there. Like the center of the labyrinth, it looks so close, and yet the path takes you away, then close again, then further away.
The labyrinth is really simple. There is one way in, and one way out. The only thing to do is to decide to enter. That's it. So simple, and yet, it seems, while you are doing it, so circuitous. Kind of like life. If you just take that first step, and trust the process, you will get there. I love the labyrinth, and I want a sign that says "where you might find the center of your heart". That's what my grandson told me it was for, and I think he is right. While I haven't advertised the labyrinth, anyone who comes to the studio is welcome to walk it. It is too good not to share.
This is the stair runner......all 240" of it, resting til next week. Then I will measure it, wind it on again, and finish it.

This red and yellow warp is for placemats. I actually rethreaded it after I wove this, so that the stripe on the right, is matched by another stripe on the left. The fabric I am using is a pale, butter yellow, with roses. I have enough warp to make 6 or 7 sets of placemats. Then I need to make some in neutral colors. I have kind of been stuck on warm colors of late.

I can't say that I have accomplished much this week. But strangely enough, I don't feel guilty about it, like I usually would. I think that age has its benefits. I am coming to think that it is not going to be as hard as I thought to manage my "retirement". As a bona fide workaholic, I have been known to have trouble taking days off. But I am committed to changing that this year.........at last. There are other things to do besides work. Really.
For starters:
I am making sun dresses for the granddaughters this week.
I am starting flower seeds.
Getting the kayaks out of the basement, and putting the racks back on my car.
Walking the dog down by the river, taking pictures.
Reading a book on photography, playing scrabble. Making plans to take some day trips with my grandchildren.
Hopefully, a weekend trip with my husband.
Yes, I have plans.
Not all work.
And it's OK.

Where we want to be.

Back to the studio today......after taking a couple of days to be with my daughter and her family. It was beautiful yesterday, but today the sunshine didn't last long, and it was raining by lunch time. A lot of the snow is gone, replaced by mud, which is OK with me, I prefer mud.
I had visitors today.....first my best friend, Sheila, then my cousin, Joan, and then my friend, Alice. Some days I weave away all day and see no one, so it was nice today to have company, and catch up.
I worked on a stair runner all day, and will probably finish it tomorrow. I won't take it off the loom though, instead I will just unwind it from the front beam, and let it rest on the floor under the loom, for about a week. During that time, it will "find" its desired length, and then I will measure it with the tension off, and wind it back on the loom, and either add some, or un-weave some, til it is just right.
I am pretty tired, I think emotionally charged times wear you down..........so I came home and went in the hot tub, and put my pj's on. It seemed like the right thing to do. My pup.....Eddie, who is 12 years old this year, is glued to me from the moment I walk through the front door. He loves me. In this picture, he is lying on the couch, one of his favorite places, gazing adoringly at me. His ears are flat back to his head, which means he is very happy. My husband and I both tell him that he gives pit bulls a bad name......he is such a baby, but he pays no attention.
Eddie was one of two puppies being used as bowling balls by a group of deviant teenagers. A friend of my daughter's happened to be in the bowling alley, and she bravely confronted them, and threatened them with the police. Rather than get arrested, they gave her both dogs, Eddie, a brindle pit bull, and a Rottweiler puppy. She kept the Rottweiler, and my daughter took Eddie with her to California. A year later, when they came back to NY, she couldn't keep him where she was living, so she brought him to my house, where he has been ever since. He loves to swim, and as soon as it is warm enough I will take a video of him leaping into the pool, and swimming in circles. He sleeps on the bed, and he is a big bed hog. He has babies, stuffed animals, all over the house. He loves his tennis ball, but when he was 3 years old, after my other pit, his best friend, died, he tore it apart, and swallowed a big chunk of it, and he ended up with a bowel obstruction. Emergency surgery saved his life, and boiled chicken fed by hand gave him back his strength.
Contrary to all the negative press, Eddie has never bitten one person, he is a total love bunny.
Last October, he had pancreatitis, and was very, very sick. He spent 5 days in the animal hospital. Thankfully, he made a full recovery. He doesn't hear very well anymore, and he has cataracts, and he doesn't see very well either. So we don't move the furniture, and we are very careful about the fat content of what he eats.
He has lots of other names besides Ed. We call him Eddie, Edgar, Baby boy, sweet boy, Edhead, Eddie head, puppy boy, pitbull........the list goes on.
We are pathetic.
I know he is not long for this world....pit bulls live to be about 12, and he has aged a lot this last year.....I am hoping he has another summer to swim. For now, I continue to be grateful for his loyalty and love. When he settles next to me for the night, he takes a deep breath, and sighs. I reach over and pat him. He is right where he wants to be.
Isn't that what makes us all happy?

Family

The last couple of weeks have been tough ones, sort of an emotional roller coaster ride. It is always hard to have someone you love in crisis, especially through no fault of their own. We have all come together to help in whatever way we can, as a family, the way we always do. And I have to say, it is the most incredible source of goodness and light that anyone could experience. We are blessed, truly blessed.
On Sunday, we got together, driving from different directions, just to spend some time together. There was a lot of talk, laughter, and some tears. We made dinner, and talked some more, ate dinner, and talked some more. The kids played, we cleaned up. Talked some more. Dogs, kids, a familiar feeling of home that is present whenever we are all together. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend were in Florida, so we groused a bit about that.....it never seems right when one of us is missing.

My daughter made her signature roast chickens, I made gravy. And I had to make biscuits due to popular demand. I guess we all needed some comfort food.
I got a lot of flack about my barrage of photo taking........when they ask WHY I am taking a picture of biscuits, I now just answer simply, "my blog". And they make faces. I am always amusing my children. I think it is my job.
I chased the girls around for a picture, and finally they gave in, not so much for me, but because they were having such fun laughing and hugging each other. You just can't take a bad photo with faces like that.

This morning while waiting for her ride to the library, I asked Gabs what color car I should be looking for.....she announced that it was a van, and it was "dolphin-ish gray". I said, "what?" She said, "dophin-ish gray." I asked her, "who told you that?" She said, "noone, BUT IT'S GRAY LIKE A DOLPHIN!!"
Oh, brother.
What would I be without my family? I am not even sure. They tease me, and love me, and make me feel like the best mother, the craziest "Mimi" in the world. Whatever I did to deserve this, well, I would do it all over again.

Weaving Weekend

This was my first weaving weekend this year. It was the first weekend that it was warm enough for one, since there is no heat upstairs. I only had one student, and she was not really a newbie, having already taken basic weaving, and she already has NINE looms. ( She is a someone I can identify with :) So the two of us, plus Kizzy and Miss Puss, did weaving boot camp, as my husband puts it.
I am always amazed at how fast the weaving weekend goes by. We get totally immersed in it, which is just fine with me. I never get sick of weaving. I get physically tired sometimes, but never sick of it.
Terrie wanted to be able to put sectional warps on her looms, so that's what we did. She put two separate sectional warps on. She also did a lot of weaving. She made one fabric rug, and one selvedge rug. I cut a lot of fabric while she was weaving. As you can see, I had help.



I think teaching someone about what I do makes me better at it.

I am surprised sometimes at how much information I have gathered along the way. Sharing it with someone who wants to learn the craft is very rewarding.





Miss Puss was mostly distinterested in what we were doing, and kept vigil watching traffic go by.






Even though the Union looms have the spokes at the bottom that you can use to put spools of warp on, I use a spool rack and a tension box. I taught myself to do it this way, and it is comfortable, so I stick with it. Also, the spokes on most Union looms are dangerous in my opinion, so I have my husband remove them.







On Saturday night, we decided to go out to dinner, so we went to Amigo's Cantina in Schuylerville. It is a small restaurant, but I highly recommend it. We had the burritos, which you can get with chicken or beef, or just veggies. You can see how huge it is.......I could only eat half of this.......but it was delicious!!

Here is Terrie with her first rug. She did a great job. She made it to go in front of her sink.


I know I am exhausted tonight. But I have a sense of accomplishment, and I think that the weekend was a successful one.

My life is boring-YAY.

Here are the rep weave towels I am working on, from a pattern in an old Handwoven magazine. I made some for my daughter for her birthday, and now I need to weave this warp off.
Getting the studio clean today, for the weaving weekend that starts tomorrow. It is a big house, and I make BIG messes. Thank God, I had Tammy. She is a godsend.
I put my tall, rubber boots on. They are covered with writing........that says "Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness, has never danced in the rain." I went outside and checked out the crocus and snowdrops coming up on the south side of the house. Then I mogged out through the snow, to see if I could walk the labyrinth, but I couldn't. But soon, soon. I am going to have a bench or two out there in my secret garden, a table where I can go and have lunch, I want to create a place of serenity and relaxation.
I am so excited to start planting perennials and shrubs. Of course, since I got the idea to put the labyrinth out there, I don't have as much space to fill. But that's OK, I have a small meadow right behind the labyrinth, and I am going to plant wildflowers there. As soon as the ground is thawed out, I will have it someone come and run the discs over it, to rough it up, and then I will broadcast a wildflower mix. I will plant some heirloom seeds around the barn.

The barn is half tool shed, and half fabric storage. I had a floor and walls put in one side of it, to store sock seconds, and big fabric rolls. I had to plug up every possible crack with wire mesh, so the squirrels wouldn't keep trying to store sunflower seeds in there. The loft is like a lot of old barns, open on both ends, with lots of spaces between the boards. When I bought the house, the barn listed badly to the west. In another couple of winters, it would have probably fallen down. So we had "the barn man" come and yank it upright, replace rotten beams, and repair what he could. The metal roof was rusty, and the rain came right down through it, so we put on a new, green metal roof. We have had a three year battle with wood chucks. I am happy to live and let live, but they insist on having their "main" hole INSIDE the barn. This is unacceptable. So the war was on. We tried everything, but no matter what we did, the hole kept reappearing. But finally, I stumbled on something that was "unacceptable" to them. I started dumping my used kitty litter down the hole, and down every other woodchuck hole I found. So far, the holes have not reappeared. But I know that they went into hibernation in late fall, so I will be looking for evidence any day that they are back. I just want them to stay out of the barn, is that too much to ask?
I got thinking about blogging. I started posting in February 2007. I wrote sporadically. It felt strange. I don't think anyone read any of it, and I had no idea how to make that happen. But I wrote anyway.
Now I write on my blog often, almost every day, and I just like doing it. What I find is that I pay more attention to what happens during my day, I look at everything with a fresher approach. I think I am more inclined to explore my life, so I can share it. I guess it just make me more aware of what is going on in my life on a day to day basis, and makes me appreciate every bit of it. And that is a good thing.
How crazy is that?

Snow in NY, spring in Spain

One of the nicest things about my venture at Crazy as a Loom Weaving Studio is the people I meet. I meet them at shows, in the shop, online, over the phone. For the most part, they are kind and appreciative. They inspire me to keep doing what I love, and they encourage me to trust my instincts in my weaving.
In 2008, I had my first "international" order, from Petra, in Spain. Over the winter, she kept buying rugs, and ordering custom rugs, and we talked via email. She sent me photos of her house, and of olive trees and periwinkle. I just sent her some mug mats, and she told me about spring in Spain, and she sent me this amazing photo of her and her "true love". It is an amazing thing to "meet" someone this way, and feel their warmth and energy in spite of the distance. And though I never thought of going to Spain, her words and pictures have put that idea in my mind. So I just had to share this image with you, it was just too good to keep to myself. (click on the pic to make it bigger)

Today I was still quite distracted, though doing much better. I accepted that I was not going to get much done. And acceptance was the answer, because the day turned out to be an OK day after all. Tammy and I took her Mom to lunch at El Mexicano, where we were serenaded by a strolling crooner with a cowboy hat and a guitar. The food was awesome. Then Tammy and I went to Tops Furniture, where the right half of the store is used furniture, and the left side is all new furniture. We just enjoyed looking around, could have bought lots of stuff, but we didn't buy anything.
When we went back to the studio,
I went upstairs, and took these pictures out the back window. I have been on the lookout for the snow to melt enough to see the labyrinth. And today, finally, it did. It looks pretty wet in places, but I am going to put my rubber boots on and walk it anyway. And as my grandson Logan said, I can find the center of my heart.
The other view is out over the meadow. As you can see, the snow is holding out.
I wove some rep weave towels on my Macomber in the back bedroom, which just happens to be my favorite room in the whole house. The towels have been on the loom all winter, and I need to finish them. I have a brand new sectional beam to put on the loom, and then I will rewarp it for more towels. I am thinking some blue and white towels would be nice.
I was amazed at how calm I was weaving today, as if just the decision to let worry go was enough.
And of course my shadow, Kizzy and Miss Puss, were right there to keep me company. They love it when I start opening doors upstairs, letting them prowl around.
One of these warm afternoons, the loft needs cleaning, and the cats have never been up there, so it will be an adventure for them.
The quilt on the bottom of the bed was given to me by my late friend, Flossie. Out of the blue she sent it to me last spring. I asked her if it was for my birthday, which was in February. She said no, it wasn't for my birthday, it was just because "you are you". A few months later, she passed away. Flossie's parting gift. So even though I have been admonished and warned, that the quilt should be put someplace out of the light, so it will last forever, I can't do it. Flossie was a bright light, and she never hid that light, so I won't hide her quilt either. As you can see, Kizzy loves it. I love it, too.
I may not get much done this week, or maybe I will. Either way I will be OK with it. I am beginning to understand that chilling is sometime just what I need.