What I've Been Up To

(The half-finished scarf is number 19 since October!)

I know. You are looking at the above picture thinking I've finally lost my mind. I have no time to do much of anything lately and yet, I've been crocheting my brains out making homemade gifts for Christmas. Every year I say I will stop making homemade gifts and every year I make them. You may think I'm a glutton for punishment, and you may be right. But I love to be busy like this. I can't help it. The crocheting in particular is addicting. It keeps me busy, it's challenging, it's mesmerizing, it's clarifying. I do a lot of thinking when I crochet and it's perfect, because I can keep moving. I love the fluidity of my hands as the hook and yarn weave their way into neat little rows. Hands have a memory and once you get the hang of it, you don't have to think much about it...your hands move and your mind is free to wander. I taught someone how to crochet recently and it was funny...she is addicted now too. I caught her watching me crochet and she had a faraway look on her face, like she was hypnotized. Someday I'll teach my girls how to crochet. I have a feeling Megan will like it more than Anna will.

Today DH and I took the girls out to see The Muppets in the theatre. We never go to see movies, so it was a special treat. It was a fun movie, and shortly into it DH shot me a look and started laughing at me. I was enjoying the spiffy seats...leather, big and comfy, and they rock back and forth without much effort. There I was, rocking and rocking and rocking without realizing it. When I stopped, my knee started bouncing up and down with a life of its own. Ah, whatever. I'm done feeling upset about the ADHD. As long as I'm not disruptive, it's fine. Megan did fine until we went out to dinner afterward. Then she was the one who could not sit still, constantly moving and shifting position in her seat. But she wasn't disruptive either. It's fine.

Speaking of dinner, we never go out to eat. We braved it tonight. There is an Asian place close to use that offers gluten free dishes and as long as we nix the egg and the tofu, we're good to go. The girls really wanted dessert. There was a coconut ice cream on the menu and I thought it meant coconut milk ice cream, so I asked our server if it was dairy free and egg free. She said yes. So the girls got ice cream. DH and I got spoons to share their desserts and after they had already dug in, I had a bite. I know dairy when I taste it. That was dairy ice cream with shredded coconut in it. The girls and I have not had dairy in 4 years, so I don't know what to expect. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Next time (not that they'll be a next time anytime soon), I'll know better!

What we should have done was to come home and have nut brittle for dessert. This has been a real treat this year. I have not attempted a dairy free, corn free, peanut free nut brittle until just this past week. I've made regular peanut brittle for other people, but not something that is safe for the girls. This year I decided to get brave and replace the dairy with Earth Balance, the peanuts with cashews and the corn syrup with brown rice syrup. This brittle behaved exactly like brittle should behave, but the brown rice syrup leaves a little to be desired. I will need to experiment more with nut brittle. It will be a bee in my bonnet until I get it done. And that's not a bad thing at all.