I don’t actually do a lot of tatting these days; I’m currently “in” to hobbies that I can pretend are somehow practical and tatting really doesn’t fit that bill (albeit I’ll admit that I interpret “practical” VERY liberally!)
Sometimes impractical fits the bill though, and Sunday I have the privilege of baptizing two little girls in our congregation - sisters. Baptismal celebrations aren’t about being practical… they’re about extravagance and celebration - that God is gracious to us long before we have any clue who God is. So, I pulled out one of my shuttles, picked up a ball of Cebelia, and got knotting (technically tatting is knotting, not lace - although I usually refer to it as a type of lace). I usually don’t give tatting as gifts or sell it at shows/auctions since no one seems to quite understand how much work goes into it - even the small pieces. I figure that, between these two little bookmarks, it works out to about 3,500 two-part knots. It’s amazing how quickly they add up!
Details:
Patterns: Original (I didn’t write them out, but if you’d like one let me know it wouldn’t take long to scribble them out for you.)
Thread: DMC Celeblia (Size 30) 100% Cotton
Color: Blanc (White)
Size: The larger cross measures about 5 1/2 inches tall
The smaller cross is about 4 3/4 inches tall
STRIP-ing a book… not to be confused with yesterday’s post on “ripping” a book. Again, it’s something I’ve put together to help me — maybe you’ll find it helpful….
Upon graduating from seminary, new ministers quickly learn that one of their most unwieldy tasks will be maintaining some sense of order in an ever-increasing library. Even more importantly for those who do extensive reading, is the ability to find a quick and helpful way to “remind” oneself about the positive (and negative) qualities of a book without taking the time to re-read it.
With that problem in mind, I developed the STRIP system. It is nothing dynamic or difficult (and, for that matter, could probably be improved on), but it can be easily printed on a label and placed on the inside cover of a book allotting each book a numerical “grade” by which I can remind myself about its content (Note: the numerical “grade” does not necessarily indicate “good” or “bad”). The label is simple:
First, I should tell you that I absolutely love reading. The problem is, I don’t always like to take the time to read things I feel like I should read. I could take a speed reading course, I suppose, but haven’t seen one offered that was convenient. So, I’ve begun “ripping” books. It’s nothing fancy but it saves me time and get’s me through books that I might otherwise not want to spend so much time on or simply don’t have the time for (even if I want to). I figure, now that I’ve been doing it for a few years, that I can get through anywhere between 100 and 300 pages an hour depending on the book - sometimes a bit more. If the book uses archaic language, is quite technical, or is a professional book from a different field, the page count per hour drops dramatically.
I don’t know if anyone else would find it helpful, but here’s how I do it:
Clear a spot on a table or desk (important!)
Open a word processor on a computer and wear in the spine of the book a bit (so that it’ll sort-of stay open on the table).
Put the Title, Author, Publisher, Bibliographical info and price at the top of the page (you’ll want this information if you ever come back to it).
Save the document using the title as your file name.
Save frequently during the process.
Plow through the book as quickly as possible.
Skim. Don’t read anything unless you need to (for clarity) or want to.
Slow down only when you run across something that seems interesting or important.
If it seems really important type it into your word processor verbatim. Normally you won’t have more than a few sentences every couple of pages.
Important passages often follow long quotations from other sources and often show up as lists.
Don’t bother paraphrasing; just use quotations. They take far less time and are more usable if you every want to use them as a quotation for writing later. (You can always paraphrase later if appropriate).
If something needs clarification put it in brackets or type it into the document without quotation marks.
Follow each quotation with a reference as to which page it’s from (in parenthesis.)
If you copy something every 5-15 pages, you’re probably doing well.
If you make it through 20 pages without any quotations, stop and take a break (you’re probably checked out… although some books deserve it!)
Sometimes I go over the final document and highlight the most important quotations in yellow or red.
I know the process doesn’t have much finesse - it’s more skill than art; but I’ve developed it through use and it works well for me — feel free to steal it if it’s helpful!
You might also consider STRIPping books too (an equally as self-developed method I use for evaluating them) - I’ll post instructions on that later.
Some people like MBTIs others don’t. I’m one of those people who do (one of my favorite MBTIs - that’s actually free, is the Champagne Hogan Inventory). Mostly because I find that MBTIs have given me some real insight into my own personality and the ways I think and relate to people. The problem? The E/I continuum has a problem: the instruments almost always show me as a strong E, but all-too-often I find people overly frustrating. How can that be?!
Well, as I’ve thought about it, I’ve decided there’s really two types of extroverts (these are my own distinctions - maybe someone better trained in psychology can point me toward some actual writing on the idea). There are Classic Extroverts and there are “Passive” Extroverts. I’d describe Classic Extroverts as those people who get their energy from interacting with other people. A Classic Extrovert, when depressed or upset, will search out friends or a party and find that rejuvenating (whereas a strong introvert would tend to find the party draining rather than life-giving.) I’ve decided that I’m not that kind of extrovert. I’m a “Passive” Extrovert. Passive Extroverts find people and crowds energizing and life-giving, but they get their energy from the crowd, not from actually interacting with people in it.
Several weeks ago, I ran the Riverbank 5k. A Classic Extrovert, running the 5k alone, would have started a conversation with someone prior to the run and found it encouraging and energizing. I, on the other hand, merely had to be in the midst of the hundreds of people. I didn’t need to talk with anyone or personally interact with them… I just needed to be among them.
Similarly, if I find myself a bit depressed or frustrated or overwhelmed I don’t call up friends or go to a party, I plop myself down in the midst of a coffee shop with a lot of people around me. The Extrovert part of me needs to be around people, but the “Passive” part doesn’t actually want to interact with them.
Why blog on it?
Well, maybe it’ll help some of you better understand the unusual Extroverts in your life who don’t fit into the “Classic” category… or maybe it’ll help you better understand yourself.
“Inconsistent” is the best word to describe my spinning at this stage of the game, but just to prove I could use it, I took my second bobbin, set it, and put it to some needles. The hat turned out a bit big and I haven’t blocked it yet but all-in-all I’m happy with it!
Just as promised…
I hope you enjoy it as much as we have! The book is a gem and includes dozens of great recipes (including a to-die-for coffee ice cream!)
2 cups Water
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Combine the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in cocoa and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl. Chill in a refrigerator for 2 hours. Stir the cool mixture, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
When finished, the sorbet will be soft but ready to eat. For firmer sorbet, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.
Note: I’ve never bothered to strain the sorbet before chilling it and haven’t had any problems with chunks of cocoa. Although I whisk it during the whole boil.
I’ll admit, I’m not exactly a dark-chocolate fan (I’m more of a milk chocolate sort of guy) but trust me, it’s worth a try
Usually cacophony takes hold in our household when the UPS guy shows up. We love our UPS guy; Carina (our dog) loves him even more. He always brings her half a dog treat (he carefully breaks them in half for her since she’s so small — cool huh?!) When I come home, Carina barely lifts her head. When JJ comes home, she’s out of the chair waiting quietly by the garage door, but when the UPS guy shows up, you’d think she was doing her part heralding in the eschaton. In any case, UPS showed up, quietly dropped off an envelope and left without Carina even noticing, so I had no reason to expect the glorious little package sitting on our step a half an hour ago when I looked out the window.
MY RAGBRAI PACKET CAME TODAY!!
Oh yea, did I tell you I was excited?!
I have gotten disturbingly few miles in on my bike this year, and yet eagerness rules the day.
Want to know more about Ragbrai?! I blogged through it last year and the year before - you can click on the “Ragbrai” category (right-hand side of the screen) and read about it. Or, you can go to the Des Moines Register’s Ragbrai site at: http://www.ragbrai.org.
Grace and Peace,
`tim
Oh, and heads up: I just heard back from Bruce Weinstein, from whom I requested permission from to post a copy of his Chocolate Sorbet Recipe #1… heavenly! Don’t let the fact that it’s only made from 3 ingredients fool you; this recipe is a keeper… Dark… Rich… Even Creamy (despite being entirely dairy free). Maybe tomorrow…. Bruce Weinstein is the author of of dozens of cookbooks - my favorite: The Ultimate Ice Cream Book.
I don’t remember a lot of my mom’s recipes, but there are a few: Chili, Dutch Babies, Koek, Stroopwafels. One of my favorites is Rhubarb Tart. It’s the only rhubarb recipe I remember her making (although I remember eating large portions of it raw dipped in sugar).
I can’t seem to get rhubarb to take to root, but I broke down and bought a bunch the other day. If you have rhubarb available and like it, it’s worth a try!
RHUBARB TART
Cut together:
1 c. Flour
5 Tbs. Powdered Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup Softened Butter
Press firmly into a 9×9 pan and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Mix together:
2 Eggs
1 1/2 c. Sugar
1/4 c. Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
3 c. Chopped Rhubarb
Pour over baked base and bake for another 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serve warm or cold; the crust will set up into a shortbread-style bottom as it cools.
Some of you may have heard that my lovely wife (JJ) promised me a spinning wheel for Christmas & my Birthday. That present, however, wasn’t allowed to materialize until after I finished my D.Min. thesis. (For the record, that was my rule, not hers - I knew that a toy like that would be FAR to distracting!) Well, the thesis is complete, and the wheel arrived - unfortunately it arrived the day before Synod started so I didn’t have a chance to play with it. Fortunately, I’ve had a bit of time to try it out since Synod was finished.
I can’t honestly call myself a spinner yet (obviously!), but I think I’m improving. Here’s a picture of my first bobbin:
It’s ugly, I know, but here’s a pic of the second:
I think the second bobbin might actually be knitable!
