The Cardigan Post

This post has been rattling around in my head for about a week.  It all started when a friend and I were having a discussion (through email, not a face to face discussion) about the pearls she wore to church.  In the course of said discussion, she commented that some day she wanted to own as many cardigans as Mimi and me.

Now, Mimi and I do have a lot of cardigans, and more than one of which could be considered the same (or close to it).  Many is the time we have shown up at church wearing alarmingly similar outfits.  We've even joked that we should call each other before we leave the house to make sure we won't be twinners!  :)

Slight digression - As you can already tell, we both have much the same taste in clothing styles.  We both like to shop at Eddie Bauer and yes, we know that sometimes (many times) the clothing there is a little expensive.  We have the "Eddie Bauer theory" that when you purchase something that is a little steep, we both can completely justify the purchase because we are also very much keepers of said clothes, for a long time, therefore, getting many wearings out of those quality Eddie Bauer clothes.  Note that I rarely buy something at EB that is not on sale, so that makes our theory even better!  This, of course, would not work if one or both of us were fashionistas and wore something for one season, then passed it off to the thrift shop.  Come to think of it, rarely do I give something to my favorite second hand shop that I don't feel a little bad because it is usually out of style and very worn out - possibly with a broken zipper, a stain on it or a hole in it.  I'm not sure I'm doing them any favors being a donor.

Now, back to the original post...

Cardigan - a usually collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front

Origin - James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan †1868 English soldier

First Known Use: 1862

Geographical location - former county W Wales ∗ Aberystwyth

As far as cardigans go, they may be my favorite clothing item -
-They don't have to be a perfect fit, like jeans.  Ugh!!  In other words, THEY ARE COMFORTABLE!!
-They keep you warm.  My favorite time of year is when the autumn air starts getting crisp, and the weather begs for a cardigan!  Heaven!!!
-They are not fussy.  They just do their job, then quietly wait for the next time they are called into service.
-They are versatile!  I can wear a cardigan all day long, starting with Seminary, switching out of my skirt to pants/jeans, and go the rest of the day!  You gotta love such an accommodating piece of clothing.  In fact, today, that very thing happened.  I am still wearing the cardigan I put on at 5:45 this morning.  Again, ya gotta love it!!
-For the most part, they are easy to take care of.  (At least the ones I buy).  As long as I remember to wear an apron when I cook, I don't have to wash my cardigans very often, and when I do, they seem to come out of the laundry room no worse for the wear.
-They invoke images of Mr. Rogers, and librarians.  Two things I love!  (One of the blogs I like to follow "The English Geek", is written by a part-time librarian, and she posted about her life as a librarian and they part cardigans play, but I can't seem to find it at the moment.  You'll just have to take my word.)
-It seems they were first used exactly 100 years before I was born!  That has to mean something!
-Given my love for all things across the pond, it seems fitting they are named after a place exactly there - across the pond!  :)
I'm sure there are more, but suffice to say, those are reasons enough.  I (heart) cardigans.
Ah cardigans!!

Not convinced of my adoration for the cardigan? Consider this quote from Ashley during planning for her wedding.  I was stressing about what to wear, and she said "Mom, you cannot wear a cardigan and khaki skirt!"  :)  It still makes me chuckle when I bring that to mind.

(In case you are wondering, I do not have a count on my cardigans.  I know there are a lot, but I haven't had to build a wing onto my bedroom to house them, so I think I'm okay.  Plus, I can justify their presence in my closet because I wear them!  OFTEN!  Especially this time of year.)

Have I mentioned that I just got one in the mail?  Today.  From Eddie Bauer!  Yes!!

A New Discovery

While I'm not one to shy away from new food, and certainly not from squash, I have never done much with Spaghetti Squash.  I may have bought it years ago, or had a fresh one from someone's garden, but I'm not sure I made it into something that we all really loved.  In fact, I am sure of it, given that it has been so long since another one has come home from the grocery store.  But all that changed when I decided on a whim to buy one a few months ago, and then searched the internet (the fountain of all cooking wisdom) for some way to use it.

And now, Baked Spaghetti Squash with Beef and Veggies is the new recipe that is getting rave reviews around here. (Not my photo, my dishes aren't near that nice, and flat leaf parsley is not something I usually have hanging out in my vegetable drawers :)  I do like to make it with ground Italian sausage, and I'm not sure I use the exact amounts of red and green peppers, but so far, everyone has liked it.  Actually, I can't say everyone.  Even as I type, Trevor is wondering why we have been having it so often, so I guess not all are fans!  :)



So, in the interest of good food, I'm sharing it with you.  Give it a try, maybe it will become a favorite at your house too!

And in the interest of movies about food, if you haven't seen The Hundred Foot Journey, with Helen Mirren, you may want to give it a try!  It's both sweet and funny, and we all enjoyed watching it!

Bon Appetit!

Au revoir, 2014...

Just a quick post about 2014.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  (Since it will be quick, it will probably be incomplete, but oh well.)

The good - Where to start?
-A new grandson - pictures here
-Sister Rietz serving in the California Rancho Cucamonga Mission.  She's 7 months in and going strong.  You can follow her adventure at her blog
-Teaching Seminary.  Who knew I would love it so much?  And love it I do.  I have a great class who show up, stay awake and are a joy to meet with 5 mornings a week - see this post
-Thanksgiving with the family.  see this post
-The first Roommate Rendevous  - see this post
-Many good books - Non-fiction seemed to be my genre this year - here is one I really enjoyed
-Watching my family continue to grow and seeing the great people they are becoming - you'll have to peruse the blog to find examples.  I'm sure I included plenty!  :)

This is just a sample of the good.  So many things to remember and to be grateful for.  I hope I appreciated and will continue to appreciate them enough.

The bad - Luckily not the longest list, but still long enough...
-Too many people we know passed away too soon - here is one story
-We didn't go to Australia - I could list this under "ugly" because it makes me very sad, and the regret       I feel about this is something I have to let go, because I can't change anything.  Lesson learned             though - take the matter into my own hands if I want something badly enough.
-Not enough blog posts, quilting, hiking or bike riding...no posts, just 3 resolutions for 2015!

The ugly - okay, there really isn't anything to put here unless you want to see a picture of my varicose veins, and really, who wants to see that?  ;)  My life is great, and my family and I are richly blessed.  Sure we have ups and downs, but isn't that what life is all about?

I'm excited to have a new year ahead of me.  I just saw a quote today about how we have 365 pages of a new book to write on.  I'm looking forward to seeing how our story unfolds in 2015.

Happy New Year!!