Monday, November 25, 2013

Monday, November 18, 2013

Out-Takes: Virtual Giving Thanks Challenge


Join the Thanksgiving Challenge! Please see the shownotes at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com or in our group on Ravelry.


Check out this episode!

Out-Takes Episode: Virtual Giving Thanks Run/Walk Challenge!


Okay, all you peeps keeping fit with me, I have a challenge for you:

(Virtual) Giving Thanks 5k, 5mi, 10k, 15k, half marathon, marathon, 50k

"WHAT?", I hear you ask. "Virtual?" A virtual race? No, a virtual race, run, jog, walk, swim, or whatever...but a chance to burn off some calories in the best running tradition of the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot.

And the best part: It's FREE! Do it ANYWHERE and ANYHOW you want! For prizes and a medal!

Here's how it works:

STEP ONE: You can sign up FOR FREE by emailing rracing@rocketmail.com and telling them that you want to do the "Giving Thanks Virtual Run".

OR

You can officially register here on Active.com.

 and pay $15 or $20, depending on the distance you wish to cover. They donate the money to the Semper Fi Fund to help injured Marines and their families.

BUT YOU CAN DO THIS COMPLETELY FOR FREE!

STEP TWO: Read the info here about how to register your time for your personal run.

STEP THREE: Run! Or walk! Who cares? It's virtual! You do it when YOU want, where YOU want, how YOU want!

BUT YOU MUST COMPLETE YOUR RUN/WALK BY NOVEMBER 30th.

I'll be doing it on Thanksgiving, so I can earn enough calories to feast later in the day!

STEP FOUR: Email your results to rracing@rocketmail.com. They will publish your results and SEND YOU A FINISHER"S MEDAL and Bib number. For FREE! REALLY!!

And now the COOL Part! Post a pic of yourself RIGHT ON THIS THREAD with your finishers medal! I will be giving 3 prizes (TBA) at random to only those who post a pic here with your medal!

So far, I'd guess the prizes will be 2 things drawn from my stash and an E-book from Cooperative Press.

If you have EVER wanted to walk/run a 5K, here is your chance. Go to the thread and let me know if you will be participating, so I know to wait for you to post your pic before I close the thread!

And, yes, Nic over on the Cheshire Plain, non-Americans may join the fun!

But you can now eat that turkey feast without guilt if you do this event on Thanksgiving morning....or any day you wish until November 30th! And, if you feel up to it, you can donate to a great cause.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

179: Walking the Dogs


Please see shownotes in our group on Ravelry or at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com.


Check out this episode!

179: Walk the Dogs and Run Up the Fitbit


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3 teeth missing!

CFR 6 is coming!
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
Yes! I am back on this project!

One Row Lace Scarf...I'm enjoying it much more than I ever expected.

The Whacky Socks are back!



Not on my needles, but worth a mention:

Teapot Ballerina Kit by Wool Girl. See her other excellent kits here. Mine has a pattern by Michelle Miller plus lots of other goodies and a skein of yarn from Zen Yarn Garden!

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The Apple-A-Day Shawl KAL is here! Brenda's shawl for this year is gorgeous!
Yarn from BeeMiceElf. Brenda is the host of the KAL.

Dizzy Blondes: 

The third (!) 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch--still in process.

Some meanderings about drive bands.

Strategy:

Confront your fears. People depend on you. And if my Goofy Newfie can do it....

Put a Lid On It:

I now am a homemade-yogurt convert. Recipe on my Pinterest account or in a note following the last episode on its Ravelry thread. And some sweet pickles and jellies (grape & sour cherry) were also put up.

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Aw Shoot!

Race recovery phase is over; I am signing up for more races to keep the momentum.
Ravelry has a group dedicated to Fitbit users: here.

Something I Really Like:

My Fitness Pal--an app and website I like even better than Lose It because it reads my Fitbit account for me,

A Wonderful Breakfast:
1 cup yogurt
1/2 banana
2/3 Tbsp local honey
1/4 cup Uncle Sam's Original cereal or your favorite cereal

Or skip honey & banana and use 1 Tbsp of good fruity jam or preserves

Under 300 calories.

Blather:

Dog news, new podcast for runners to be mounted soon, and just me gasping my way uphill.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

178: Race Run


Please see the show notes at our group on Ravelry or at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com. And keep running!


Check out this episode!

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

178: Race Run


Untitled

Happiness is...a brand new race medal.

CFR 6 is coming!
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color! If I ever pick it up...

One Row Lace Scarf...I'm enjoying it much more than I ever expected.

Not on my needles, but worth a mention:

The Apple-A-Day Shawl KAL is here! Brenda's shawl for this year is gorgeous!
Yarn from BeeMiceElf. Brenda is the host of the KAL.

Dizzy Blondes: 

The third (!) 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch--still in process.

A heap of plying piling up...

Strategy:

Challenge yourself.

Put a Lid On It:

2 recipes I plan to work on:
Crockpot lasagna
Crockpot yogurt

Aw Shoot!
Santa Clarita 5K completed! And some random mugging with the race mascot was enjoyed:

image

Ravelry has a group dedicated to Fitbit users: here.

Something I Really Like:

Lose It--a palce to cross check your foods' caloric values and to scan bar codes for the info you need. I use this against Fitbit.com to get info for foods not on Fitbit's site.

Blather:

Eleanor is doing great! LG gets to be Red Ninja for Halloween. I experience weird bodily issues as I run. A road trip to WEFF.

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Tuesday, October 29, 2013

177: Comfortably Busy


Please see the show notes at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com or on our group on Rabelry.


Check out this episode!

Monday, October 28, 2013

177: Comfortably Busy


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I am ready for winter in my new Steger moosehide mukluks!

CFR 6 is coming!
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color! If I ever pick it up...

One Row Lace Scarf...actually, it's all I've wanted to do for the past week or so.

Not on my needles, but worth a mention:

The Apple-A-Day Shawl KAL is here! Brenda's shawl for this year is gorgeous!
Yarn from BeeMiceElf. Brenda is the host of the KAL. Also all of Goodstuff's patterns are for sale at 50%. Details here.

Dizzy Blondes: 

The third (!) 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch--still in process.

A heap of plying piling up...

Strategy:

Identify how you sound when your mood is turning sour and stop yourself. Really. You'll only regret it otherwise.

Put a Lid On It:

The milkshake I can live with: 2 cups milk, 1 banana (frozen), 1 cup blueberries (frozen), 2 Tblsp Peanut butter: about 556 calories

Aw Shoot!
2.5 miles on trail last Sunday. 1 week until my next race.

Ravelry has a group dedicated to Fitbit users: here.

Something I Really Like:

Road Runner Sports--the place I get most of my running gear. Their own brand is reasonably priced and good quality.

Blather:

The Running Out-Take. Eleanor grows up and gets THAT surgery.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

176: Long Recap Episode


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That is (left to right) Shari, Me, Carol, Pat, and Barb, all wearing our various versions of the shawl from CFR2012, The Tehachapi Project by Michelle Miller. We are all by the pool at CFR5!

CFR 6 is coming!
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color!

One Row Lace Scarf...it's back for a while.

Finished:

Margaret Dashwood Shawl--41 repeats and doing the decrease rows.

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Lion Brand Yarn Vintage Styles for Today--has its own Sonntag shawl.

RKs Mom Project Bags and Goodies
The Dr Who bag is on the second row on the left, below.

And those are RK's Mom (Tally) and Jamie, doing the Indiana Jones thing for us this year.

photo

The Apple-A-Day Shawl KAL is here! Brenda's shawl for this year is gorgeous!
Yarn from BeeMiceElf.

yarma

Afternoon at the Louvre by Michelle Miller. Just lovely, and I now have the colors used in the model! Thanks, Michelle!

Dizzy Blondes: 

The third (!) 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch--still in process.

I finished the Freckle Face Fibers BFL that I was spinning on Peregrine the Sidekick!

image

Strategy:

Own your experience and use it with pride. Modesty may be a fine thing, but not when it interferes with your abilities.

Put a Lid On It:

Okay, I admit it: watermelon rind pickles are amazing, if allowed to mature for several months.

Aw Shoot!
WOOT! 2 miles done last Sunday, but my legs and feet took a pounding on cement. A bit about running surfaces.

There is now a thread on the Ravelry group to discuss your current exercise of any form.

Something I Really Like:

The Fitbit Flex--helping me jumpstart my return to running and fitness.

Blather:

CFR, running, and general high spirits.

We did update the Red House BBQ monument to CFR:

Untitled Untitled

Yes, Jin, I love our annual picture too!

image Untitled photo image

Sunday, October 13, 2013

CFR5--some images



Minion hats by Loretta 1031. 

The ladies in the various interpretations of Michelle Miller's shawl designed for CFR4 (2012) are (l. to rt.) Shari, Dr. Gemma, Carol, Pat, and Barb. 

That's Jin the elder and I together at the planning brunch on Sunday. 

Stacy/JediMom is taking a break on the hall floor alone for a brief second. 

Jamie is our Viking, as well as our metalsmith. 

In the van, Michelle Miller is making the peace sign; that's Erica Hernandez sitting on Michelle's  right (our left).

And those are the reformed ZomBears voguing on my hotel bed!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

175: Sprinting Towards CFR5!

yarma

Ummmm....it followed me home...?

CFR V is now filled--but we are taking a waiting list.
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color!

Margaret Dashwood Shawl--41 repeats and doing the decrease rows.

One Row Lace Scarf...set aside for the nonce...

Dizzy Blondes: 

The third (!) 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch.

I finished the Freckle Face Fibers merino-silk I was spinning on Peregrine the Sidekick!

...But I also finished 10 oz of emerald green merino and 4 oz of a merino-silk blend on Fiona the Ashford! My warm thanks to Dizzy Ruth of the Dizzy Ewe for helping me purchase and to Michelle Lee  of Studio 66 for teaching me how to use the new Ashford!

yarma

Strategy:
Change your mind. No, really. You MUST change your thoughts to change your feelings.

Put a Lid On It:

I canned the pickled aubergine (eggplant) at last! 2 pints! And 5 pints of dilled sandwich slices (cukes) for good measure, using Persian cucumbers.

Aw Shoot!
I am up to running 1.5 miles. Now if only I could get back to the archery range...!

There is now a thread on the Ravelry group to discuss your current exercise of any form.

Something I Really Like:

The Woolee Winder for spinning.
The Griffin Dye Works Autumnal Fiber Frolic in Monrovia, CA
The Dizzy Ewe

Blather:

CFR5 is fast approaching. Meanwhile, a review of Cooperative Press' new book Stitching in the Stacks.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Episode 174: Here, There, and Everywhere

yarma

No llamas allowed in! Things just get too dramatic...!

CFR V is now filled--but we are taking a waiting list.
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color!

Margaret Dashwood Shawl--31 repeats and about to begin the decrease rows.

yarma

One Row Lace Scarf...set aside for the nonce...

Bears for the Mother Bear Project--my 13 bears in 2013 project is complete!

Dizzy Blondes: 

The second 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch.

Lovin' on the SPAKAL project from the Knitmore Girls.

Here is the fiber I am spinning on Peregrine the Sidekick:

yarma

Strategy:

Use events and friendships to anchor yourself to a positive life.

Put a Lid On It:

Just a bit of rambling...frozen fruit and smoothie recipe:
1. Fruit--frozen is good
2. Liquid--2 cups--milk, iced tea, iced coffee, fruit juice, water
3. Thickener--banana, ice, peanut butter, yogurt etc.
4. Vitamin/power boosts

Aw Shoot!
I am running again! Hey, it's cross-training for archery... There is now a thread on the Ravelry group to discuss your current exercise.

Something I Really Like:

10-person Coleman tent

Blather:
We WILL have a raffle for Mother Bear to support the mailing costs of the bears from southern CA to MN. Excess money will go entirely to Mother Bear project as a donation.

Here is the yarn (a bit washed out in this photo) from Forbidden Woolery for Lex's shawl for CFR5:

lex yarn

And the shawl (that's Lex modeling!):

yarma

And here is the beaded shawl by Brenda Castiel for CFR5:

yarma

and its yarn from BeeMiceElf:

yarma

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Saturday, September 7, 2013

173: Happiest of Birthdays


Please see the show notes on our Ravelry group or at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com


Check out this episode!

173: Happiest of Birthdays!

yarma

The best birthday selfie ever!

CFR V is now filled--but we are taking a waiting list.
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color!

Margaret Dashwood Shawl--22 repeats and back in process.

One Row Lace Scarf...set aside for the nonce...

Bears for the Mother Bear Project--my 13 bears in 2013 project is complete!

Here they all are, after their conversion from ZomBears, taking a break after their Ravelry photo-shoots:

yarma

Dizzy Blondes: 

The first 8 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch.
Finished the last of the cinnamon-sugar alpaca fleece.

Finished the Freckle Face Fiber SWM in California Poppies.

yarma

Lisa Souza fibers:

Earth Birth in merino-bamboo-silk and Silk-merino in Squash Blossom, the California Poppies from FFF, and some of the Shetland:

yarma

And the finished yarn from all the red-oranges-yellows:

yarma

Strategy:

Give up the perfectionistic default versions that you keep of yourself and use to punish yourself for not being good enough right now. Instead, revise your version of who you are to the current reality.

Put a Lid On It:
Red pickled eggs, Chicken with cashews, Aunt Mim's Cake!

Chicken with Cashews:

Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour...
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews
Directions:
Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Add cashews and stir. Serve over rice. Makes 4-6 servings.
If you want like sauce and want to have some to pour over the chicken and the rice, double the sauce ingredients.


Aw Shoot!
Not this week, alas! But I am running again!

Something I Really Like:

Leclerc bobbins for winding off  and storing my spun singles.



Blather:

Thanks for all the birthday love! I had a FABULOUS birthday weekend! Here we are, trying not to set the cake on fire...

yarma


BEWARE THE ZOMBEARS!

yarma

The ZomBears try to maul the Miley Cyrus MVA video on my laptop. They had more taste than I've given them credit for, apparently....

yarma

OH NO! They're after Teddy!

yarma

OOPS! Looks like Eleanor is out for some pay-back!

yarma

WOWEE! Looks like the dogs won: SCORE: Dogs 1-ZomBears 0! THE REIGN OF TERROR HAS ENDED!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

172: Spinning Frenzy


Please see the shownotes at www.cogknitivepodcast.blogspot.com or on our group in Ravelry.


Check out this episode!

172: Spinning Frenzy

 yarma

The skeiner and yarn counter from WoodenSpinner on Etsy has arrived. It's wonderful!

CFR V is now filled--but we are taking a waiting list.
 
More information here!

Celebrating our listeners who have joined the CogKnitive 25 – , 50 –, and 75 – Bear Clubs for MBP. You can see who they all are right here. Great work!

Have YOU completed 25, 50, or 75 bears for Mother Bear Project? Send me your snail and a link to your Ravelry projects page, and CogKnitive will send you a special wristband to celebrate with you.

Add yourself to our CogKNITive Listeners Map.

We have a website at http://www.cogknitive.com/. You can find older episodes there.

You can now subscribe to the BLOG on your Kindle or Kindle app.

I am gemmadw on  Twitter and Pinterest, and DrGemma on Plurk.

What's On My Hooks, Needles, and Spindles:

Not yet finished:
The OHM Shawl by Michelle Miller .
On to the second color!

Margaret Dashwood Shawl--15 repeats done, but set aside for bears...

Whacky Socks
Stalled

One Row Lace Scarf...set aside for the nonce...

2 more bears have been freed from the ZomBear curse! Here are Christine and Sandy Bear!

yarma

Bears for the Mother Bear Project--my 13 bears in 2013 project continues. I am back on this project, as the 2 Knit Lit Chicks are still running their CAL/KAL!

Dizzy Blondes: 

Loretta and her fantastic Kiwi wheel:

yarma

The finished BFL-silk from Dreamy Goat Designs.

yarma

A Happy Outcome from having a skeiner and being able to skein up and count your yarn more quickly.

yarma

And here's what you get from being able to load little cheap bobbins and free up your wheel's bobbins. I used a drill and the dowel from my Lazy Kate.

yarma

The first 4 ounces of Shetland wool from RenCon Ranch.

yarma

Freckle Face Fiber SWM in California Poppies.

yarma

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The last braid of Judy's Novelty Wool Corriedale from Stitches West several years ago.

yarma

Strategy:

Set yourself free from wanting a past that will never be.

21 -Day Meditation Challenge

Oh No! The ZomBears have overpowered their watchdog! Poor Eleanor!

yarma


Put a Lid On It:
Hot kitchen, no goodies.

Aw Shoot!
Not this week, alas! Spinning with Loretta instead.

The Zombears did leave a slimy trail, so we cornered them in my studio...

yarma

Something I Really Like:
 Star Trek: Enterprise on Netflix. All the goofy Star Trek stuff you love, plus a great theme song and some true-to-Roddenberry themes.

Blather:
The Gathering Leaves Crocheted Shawl by Lily Go. Thanks, Nitiram!

The practice of no escape!
The Mobile Recording Studio gets an overhaul.

Our outdoor bedroom for the summer months.

yarma


Oh NO! They're eating brains in my studio!

yarma

BEWARE THE ZOMBEARS!