tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:38:22 +0000http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/sybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)Blogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-8215752177226165113Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:36:00 +00002009-12-24T14:56:41.055-05:00holidayscookingThe Holiday Spirit has been elusive this year. I made all sorts of lists of things to bake and knit but most of them are still unmade. This morning though I felt more in the mood. I made some tea and cranked up the holiday music and got to work.I did not have a whirling dervish in my kitchen. The cats could not be persuaded to dance, even to Run Run Rudolph. Instead I give you...Coconut Rum http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-kitchen.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-1162188114207049934Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:29:00 +00002009-12-20T10:46:55.417-05:00Are you still out there dear readers? Or have you moved on to blogs that update more than once a quarter? I cannot blame you if you have. But if you are still here, here are some pretty pictures of the first winter snowfall. We will have a white solstice this year.The PalisadesThe Columbia University CThe Henry Hudson Bridgehttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/12/winter-wonderland.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-7486052974248927315Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:23:00 +00002009-09-15T14:08:33.001-04:00I seem to be posting only once a month. It is still sort of annoying to type for an extended period. But that will be over soon, I am getting my hand fixed.As some of you may know, I have had chronic problems with my right hand and wrist. Odd sensations, a feeling of internal pressure, and pain. Prior to having any health insurance I had gone to an acupuncturist and a massage therapist. http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/09/good-as-new.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-6721708904155071876Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:01:00 +00002009-08-15T16:21:41.236-04:00You may be wondering what became of my happiness project. It's still going on. And I am not alone. The New York Times has a whole column about it called Happy Days: The Pursuit of What Matters in Troubled Times. The description says:The severe economic downturn has forced many people to reassess their values and the ways they act on them in their daily lives. For some, the pursuit of http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/08/pursuit-of-happiness.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-3450101317694635470Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:22:00 +00002009-07-18T11:24:48.372-04:00I've been reading Brian Greene's "The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality". It's quite readable, particularly since he likes to use the Simpsons in his explanatory metaphors. Some chapter names:The Universe and the Bucket: Is Space a Human Abstraction or a Physical Entity?The Frozen River: Does Time Flow?Teleporters and Time Machines: Traveling Through Space and http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/07/free-will-or-not.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-6809010725843919114Sat, 11 Jul 2009 15:18:00 +00002009-07-11T12:10:14.242-04:00Hi, my name is Plaid Sheep and I am a control freak. It has been less than 24 hours since I last felt entirely responsible for a nasty event while simultaneously imagining the worst possible outcome.What has prompted this? I'll tell you. (WARNING: Some soul searching ahead.) I joined an online group (a private group, entry must be approved) that had formed to deal with a problem created by a http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/07/cfa.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-6464583900448004608Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:58:00 +00002009-05-02T10:59:52.269-04:00I've been commenting on other's blogs with abandon but have not managed a post of my own. It's been a little crazy at work with several crises including a demand from the State of NY and our graphic design computer giving up the ghost. Fortunately it is the logic board rather than the hard drive so the things we failed to back up will be retrievable. But it's still a big fat headache and a big http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/04/you-are-what-you-eat.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-7214884449424225417Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:53:00 +00002009-03-29T13:57:16.841-04:00someone took the time to write this article. And that another bunch of people took the time to comment. Oh, and that some poor soul at the CDC was forced to compile the data in the first place. Next up, the detrimental effects of paper cuts on work productivity.http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/i-cant-believe.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-8896368763626740529Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:46:00 +00002009-03-26T13:52:56.913-04:00Every year the James Beard Foundation hands out awards to cookbooks.   There are several categories.  One of this year's nominees for Single Subject book is:Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipeshttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/good-choice.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-6114322165853830419Sun, 22 Mar 2009 15:39:00 +00002009-03-22T12:55:59.189-04:005. Do not feel bad about being idle and still.One weekend not long ago I was just sitting on my bed. I thought to myself, "I should be knitting. I like to knit so I should be doing it otherwise I'm wasting my leisure time." I actually thought that. I mean, how crazy is that? X is fun so I must do X. That's what my leisure time is for, fun, dammit. Of course it's ridiculous. Why shouldn't Ihttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/commandment-5.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-5734599251404814431Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:27:00 +00002009-03-09T08:42:56.078-04:00In case you were wondering, I can confirm that avoiding habitual thinking is very, very hard. But hard work has its rewards. On Saturday I went to the park. Instead of taking my usual route in I took an alternate way and then I sat for a while in a spot where I don't usually sit. I'd been there for about 10 minutes when a hawk landed on a low branch not 12 feet from me. He was grand, almosthttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/rewards.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-564434942767714810Sun, 01 Mar 2009 15:10:00 +00002009-03-01T11:15:20.232-05:00March has come in like a lion. It's snowing today and spring seems far away. This is always the hardest part of the winter for me, the home stretch. It seems as if spring will never come and then suddenly the world is green.AnticipationThough I am technically Christian - that is, I was baptized - I have never had faith or practiced beyond the occasional Christmas service. But there is one http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/03/tradition.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-8884344683408289010Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:04:00 +00002009-02-22T19:28:12.804-05:00happinesscooking4. Spend out a.k.a. Avoid Sunday Best SyndromeWhy is it that we like to save things for special occasions? The good china, the crystal glasses, the pretty blouse; we hide them away most of the time, saving them for who knows what. It is true, if you use something it may wear out or get broken or get used up. I have vanilla beans in my cupboard. I've had them since well before Christmas, http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/02/commandment-4.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-746621685026559873Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:18:00 +00002009-02-15T20:34:23.925-05:00Happiness is fresh baked bread. Because this is so true I am going to make all the different breads in the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, one per week. I'm not doing them in order since that would result in my eating only flatbreads for several weeks. (One friend of mine asked me, "Why would you need anything but flatbread?" but I do think I should skip around.) I have already made several http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/02/mmmmm-cheese.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-7962203282680626852Sun, 08 Feb 2009 20:01:00 +00002009-02-08T15:50:33.992-05:00Even before I began my Happiness Project I knew that there were lots of books on the subject. Many can be found at the local Barnes and Noble. However, wishing to avoid bankruptcy and loss of living space I went to the library. Or more accurately, I went to the library's online catalog. I typed in happiness under the "subject" search and got over 200 results. Some of my favorite titles http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/02/but-above-all-things-truth-beareth-away.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-2536635341399589862Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:25:00 +00002009-02-04T17:41:42.707-05:00The next commandment on my list is short, sweet and really hard.3. Let it go.My brother-in-law can make a decision or a choice and regardless of how it turns out he does not revisit it over and over.  I would pay real money to be able to do that.  I love to replay things in my head, trying out different scenarios, as if by sheer force of persistence I could change how things turned out.  This is http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/02/commandment-3.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-8234509365384619531Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:45:00 +00002009-01-31T11:34:47.126-05:00In the continuing pursuit of my happiness project I've been doing some reading. Yesterday I was leafing through a short compilation of the writings of Marcus Aurelius who was a Stoic. These days the word stoic conjures up a stone faced guy with a stiff upper lip and no discernible emotions in the face of tragedy. In fact, the Stoics were really the Buddhists of the West. For example, Buddhismhttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/01/similarities.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-570125364078673651Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:32:00 +00002009-01-25T14:00:52.842-05:00You'll like this one.2. Never take anything too seriously (especially yourself)I often tell people that I have to make a wise-ass remark periodically or I start to feel uncomfortable. It's true. Humor is a necessity, right up there with breathing and eating. I can joke about pretty much anything. If you find someone who can't laugh at themselves, look out. Every now and then I catch myself http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/01/commandment-2.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-4759839146413143679Sun, 25 Jan 2009 02:03:00 +00002009-01-24T22:21:59.613-05:00Part of Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project is a list of commandments she created for herself. This seemed like a fine idea so I am adopting it. Furthermore, I am co-opting her first commandment as my own. The rest of my list is not in any particular order but this first one is definitely the most important.1. Be Plaid Sheep.Seems simple enough, be myself. But it isn't simple at all. I don'thttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/01/commandments.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-2593194943880970071Sun, 18 Jan 2009 20:54:00 +00002009-01-18T17:15:28.559-05:00I found a new blog today. New for me, that is. It's called The Happiness Project and is written by Gretchen Rubin. I recommend it. Today's entry is particularly good - it's a quote from Simone Weil. I've had an abiding interest in the topic of happiness. It seems such an elusive thing. The Oxford English Dictionary has 4 definitions.The main one: The quality or condition of being happy.1. http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-project.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-4086830948499029216Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:17:00 +00002008-12-20T11:44:08.884-05:00I've been reading a book this week that I want to send to everyone in this country. I especially recommend it to all of you bread-baking, tomato sauce-canning, home brewers. It is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I tried to read The Poisonwood Bible once but I just couldn't get into it. This is way better. She and her family moved to Appalachia and lived for one year (and http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-choices.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-2365090561549299577Mon, 15 Dec 2008 02:34:00 +00002008-12-14T22:02:17.637-05:00It has come to my attention that it's been 21 days since I last posted. I did not mean this to happen, really. It's not that I didn't know that December is almost half over, I think I just thought I had posted since November 23rd. You would think that at the very least I would have wanted to tell you about my lovely Thanksgivings (I had two, one on the day and one on Saturday). I made pumpkinhttp://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2008/12/its-crock.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-829587945814516033Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:02:00 +00002008-11-23T16:37:36.274-05:00Lisa has posted about her Thanksgiving dinner plans. I got hungry just reading it. Thank goodness there is garlic roasting the oven for my afternoon snack. Her post reminded me that the holidays are well and truly here and I am just beginning to feel it.I used to work in retail. When you work in retail the holidays can never sneak up on you. They're larger than life,taking over everything http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2008/11/embracing-season.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-7639561331527133254Sat, 22 Nov 2008 14:52:00 +00002008-11-22T10:12:51.372-05:00We're suffering from shock here in New York. We went from 60 degrees to 30 degrees pretty much overnight. And yet, people are still crawling along the sidewalks, stopping in bottlenecks, and generally getting in the way of those of us who want to get somewhere without our feet freezing to the sidewalk. I've been lobbying for a pedestrian passing lane for a while now. Everyone who wants to http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2008/11/still-slow.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25205682.post-4823831767198413199Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:25:00 +00002008-11-05T08:38:23.323-05:00Okay, who else wants to run down the street yelling WOO HOO!?Some people in my neighborhood did just that last night.After the 2000 election I stopped watching the results come in. I watch something frivolous instead. This time I was about to turn off the TV and go to bed when I decided just to take a peek. It was 11:04pm and they were announcing that Barack Obama had won. But even if I had http://theplaidsheep.blogspot.com/2008/11/we-did-it.htmlsybil@theskein.com (The Plaid Sheep)2