A week filled with new information!

     One of my daughters said to me recently:  "I have been making Prayer flags out of the linens you have made me."  I may have gulped.  I have been making special glass towels for all my friends and family for a couple of years, using vintage linen and old and new lace. some hand-made, some vintage.  Sometimes I make them all by hand with careful tiny stitches.  I have this belief that hand-made gifts are the way to show people that I care for them.  I think that my Mother taught me that long ago.  I remember embroidering stocking bags for Grandmothers back in the '50's.  Of course there were always Thank You cards, but I guess I took it on faith that these little hand-made gifts made people happy. I can't imagine my 11 year old embroidery was all that beautiful.
     After I gulped, I thought, "Well after all, it was a gift.  It shouldn't matter to me how these things are used.  We either use them up or do something else with them.  So I refrained from making a negative judgement about it.  Indeed, I gradually came to like the idea of these spotless white damask and pale blue linen towels flying in the breeze on some porch.  But I must say that I felt a little less happy when I found some at a local Charity resale store.  I was surprised to find that I recognised my own stitching.  There were two and they sold for .25 apiece.  Luckily I found someone who wished to use them as table covers for a family alter and learned a little more about the uses for things and my own shortsightedness.  And I have tried not to remember who got the those particular ones.

     I am learning how to eat low carb  I am now getting advice from a professional and it has helped me immensely  I have had to add some carbohydrates.  I am starting to develop some recipes that taste good, can be eaten several ways, and don't cost the earth.  Last week I made Pulled Pork in the crock pot.  I used a boneless pork loin bought on sale for $1.98 a pound.  I made about 2 1/2 pounds and it lasted for three meals.  The marinade contained 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 T. honey, garlic and chopped ginger, 1/3 piece of star anise 
      So here are some of this weeks menus:
Hot Pulled pork on low-carb buns, with cheese sauced broccoli and tossed salad.
Tomato soup, sliced chicken and cream cheese with garlic and olives sandwiches on dark rye bread.
Cold pulled pork sandwiches with swiss cheese, salad
Chichen Fajitas with refried beans. salad
Hot Pulled pork in pork gravey, Fauxtatoes (whipped cauliflower), salad with our own fresh radishes
Quarter Pound hamburgers and cheese and broccoli soup, chocolate.


     Last week Eliyah and I made hand-dipped candles for two days and had a lot of fun.  Even Bill got in on it.

These are hand-dipped candles twisted into "trees".  They are difficult to burn though!

 Two weeks ago I went to a popular second-hand store and tried on some t-shirts.  One of them had some sticky sesame seeds on it.  I took it off but I wasn't really sure there was anything wrong with it that a good washing wouldn't cure.  In the end I didn't buy it.  Later when I researched the "sticky" seeds, the search brought up bedbugs.  Now I believe that that store puts all it's clothing in the dryer before putting it out on the floor but I am still disturbed and thinking that I might not want to buy any more second-hand clothing.  I believe that second-hand is a responsible way to acquire things but if it spreads pests, we'll have to stop doing things that way.  I would be interested in your opinions.