A Visit to Habersham

Ah, the joys of a three day weekend. I left Savannah Friday afternoon and drove up to one of my favorite places on Earth: Timbrook, the Dover's farm! I got to visit with a wonderful family that has been kind enough to adopt me as one of their own, even though I tend to wander away for years at a time. I spent hours talking, knitting, playing games and just being...and it was wonderful.

It's a little strange that I feel more of a sense of homecoming in a place I never really lived than I do with any place I actually received mail. But then, that is also true of the Saporita's house, my other adoptive family. These are both families that have opened their hearts and their homes to me, and for that gift I am eternally grateful. Losing Mom has been just a tad bit easier knowing that I have other moms who are still here to love on me.

I also got a chance to visit with two dear friends/teachers from Piedmont. I didn't realize then how lucky I was to be able to connect with such talented people, but I know it now. Sure, I made life-long friends with other students, but I was also fortunate enough to do the same with some of my professors!

Being Spring, there were plenty of baby animals on the farm.

After the rain let up, this stunning butterfly sipped a drink from the moist sand in the driveway.

From looking at the Mountain Laurel and Magnolias in glorious bloom, you would never know that Georgia has been suffering from an extended drought.

I wanted very much to be able to help with sawing lumber (last visit I helped build a chimney!), but the trees had grown in a Poison Ivy patch...so I kept my distance.

Sleepy little Demorest has been growing non-stop since I graduated. Piedmont now has a pedestrian bridge and many more buildings than when I attended. I understand the desire to expand, but I can't help wondering if something has been lost with all this development. Do students have the chance to be in a class with just one other student anymore? I went to Piedmont because I would be more than just a number, I hope that will always be the case.

Networking on the 'net

I have had a lot of people ask me if I've made lots of new friends since moving to Savannah. While I have met a lot of very friendly people through my job, I'm sorry to say that I have not had a lot of time to go out and meet non-work-related people. I have chatted with some very interesting people at Harley dog park (and think I can sorta relate to parents that get caught up in their children's friend's parent's lives) or walking around Forsyth. But going out just to "socialize" has never been very high on my list. And as sad as it may sound, I just don't have the time or the energy to get all wrapped up in other people's lives right now! I'm still trying to get my own straightened out a bit first.

So, I decided to do a little virtual socializing! Namely, I have been checking out crafting websites and blogs to connect with others who feel the same innate drive to create! I wasn't the least bit surprised to find that people who are handy at making things tend to have very interesting and beautiful websites. You may have noticed a few new links on my "Check them out" side bar. These are folks that I have never met in person, but find their blogs/websites to be interesting. The coolest thing about networking is how quickly the web spreads. I click here and it takes me there, then I click there and it takes me somewhere else wonderful! I can tell I'm going to have to manage my internet time very carefully...

I stumbled onto Darcy's Knotty Knitter site today and found a neat giveaway (which is very exciting since I refuse to buy any yarn until I use some of Mom's stash!). That blog linked me to SandraSingh's website to taunt me with more beautiful yarn that I can't buy yet. And last week I managed to get an invitation to Ravlery, an knitting and crochet group-thingy. It was surfing from crafting site to crafting site that I first heard about the book "Amigurumi Knits." I was immediately smitten with the darling little squishies and was thrilled beyond belief when I found it at Books-A-Million a few days later (I am almost done with my first starfish and think I may start on the jellyfish next!!). Performing a goodsearch.com to try to find a link for "Amigurumi Knits" lead me to Alyoops fun blog! It's a vicious, creative cycle and I love it!

I'm still wanting very much to meet people in person here in Savannah, don't get me wrong. As a matter of fact, I am hoping to stop by the local yarn shop next week just to sit and knit with other people. Of course, I've been wanting to stop in every since I moved...I just haven't made the time yet. It all comes back to pacing myself: I can't do everything all the time, so I do what I can when I can. Right now, I can finish knitting this adorable starfish so I can post some pictures soon!

Learning from Bacteria

So, I was enjoying making yogurt...right up to the point where I ended up with a runny, bitter milk-type-substance.

At first I thought, hmmm, what could have gone wrong? I succeeded at this once already. But when I actually dug a little deeper, I realized that any number of things could have caused the failed culture.

Perhaps I didn't heat the milk properly: too little heat and the proteins don't alter, too much and who knows what happens! Maybe I didn't let the milk cool enough before I added the culture and killed the little bacteria before they ever had a chance to reproduce. Or maybe the jars didn't stay warm enough during the "growth" stage. It couldn't possibly have been the fact that I cut the "growth" stage time in half, could it?

All this yogurt analysis lead me to realize something more important: I've been cutting corners trying to get everything done. As a perfect example, here is a list of what I am doing this very moment:
1. writing on this blog
2. thinking about my sister and her MRI
3. checking email (ok, I have to tab back and forth with the blog to do this)
4. ripping a reference CD to my lappy
5. waiting for the next batch of milk to cool to 120 degrees
6. thinking about the knitted starfish that I really want to finish tonight
7. balancing my budget and checkbook
8. trying to decide when I'm going to eat dinner
9. trying to remember if I have everything I need to teach my class tomorrow
10. hoping I have time to squeeze in a shower before I fall asleep

The jist of this post is that I realized that my life is getting a little out of balance the past few weeks. I tried telling myself that when this series of workshops is over in mid-June, things will settle down. But I know that's not true: something else will come up to take its place. Like my little yogurt bacteria, I need to create an environment that favors growth, then give myself time to do what needs to be done. Short cuts only work in the short run.

Home & Family Finance Radio

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of being a guest on the Home & Family Finance Radio Show. It was a lot of fun to tape and the host, Paul Berry, was gracious and entertaining. I got to talk about savings plans, of which I am a big advocate. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here and selecting the broadcast that was published on May 17, 2009. I am the first of the three guests to be interviewed, and also chime in on some of the Q&A at the end of the segment. The show was recorded live at the Westin for the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates annual conference, so that's not canned applause! Enjoy!

Cute-as-a-Bug Slippers

I finally finished my ladybug slippers and posted them on Etsy!

Yogurt and Totes

Well, I finally did it: I made yogurt! I have been wanting to try it for a while. Noreen told me it was easy, but she had some kind of yogurt-maker, so I assumed that you needed some special tools or something. However, Alana passed on an awesome New York Times article that explains how to make it with nothing more than common kitchen items. I have to say, I love it! I made 4 quarts with one gallon of milk, which means I can save myself over $10 each month by making my own yogurt instead of buying it. The taste and texture are much better than store bought, and I don't have to worry about artificial sweetners and other junk. YUM!

I have also spent a bunch of time this weekend unpacking my craft room. I found several wonderful filing cabinets on Craig's List (and will hopefully get a few more from work) and was able to put away most of the fabric and some of the yarn. In unpacking boxes I came across these tote bags that I made last fall. I think they are super-cute and love that they are reversible with coordinating fabric inside. I intended to sell them on Etsy, but hadn't had a chance to take pictures until now. Hopefully they will be posted and available for sale sometime next week.