tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18587638531012359232012-01-31T10:40:21.634-08:00<p align="right">Crafting a home in Seattle.</p>Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.comBlogger2791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-6363536849631395242012-01-31T10:40:00.000-08:002012-01-31T10:40:21.645-08:00

Once upon a time I wanted a beautiful hand-knitted hat. I wanted to venture into colorwork and stranded knitting to produce something I could look at and love every time I wore it. With Cascade 220 yarn, size 4 circular and double-pointed needles, and the book Hats On! 31 Warm and Winsome Caps for Knittersat my disposal I was ready. It was quick. It was pretty. The fit was perfect. The

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-40893445764185770132012-01-24T00:09:00.000-08:002012-01-24T00:22:33.696-08:00

Ginger beer round 2 happened and I'm hoping to find it wildly (not mildly) successful. We chose a recipe from Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentationand brewed ourselves a good 4 gallons of ginger beer on New Year's day, my drink of choice. Great way to start 2012!  Essentially, it went like this: Per every gallon of water boil 1 oz ginger (plus extra for zing), 1

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-73057247710998222552012-01-19T00:43:00.000-08:002012-01-19T00:43:33.147-08:00

Handspun yarn from roving by Black Trillium Fibre Studio. 4 ounces, 60% Merino, 40% Bamboo. Colorway: Bumblebee. This was my first time spinning anything except wool (minus my very first skein, a merino/silk blend) and the experience was fine. I found a bit of trouble keeping the fibers well-blended as the bamboo really wanted to stick with its own, away from the wool. The bamboo also added a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-57712365108595825212012-01-18T13:24:00.000-08:002012-01-19T16:11:08.075-08:00

Canning tuna? Not so bad. Canned tuna? Delicious. Let's keep this simple. Slow Food Seattle hosted a tuna canning class and I joined (with my good friend and her 6 month old baby, plus many others) in for the fun. Lessons learned? Whole slices partially frozen tuna will turn your hands into blocks of tender ice themselves after a solid morning of slicing the meat from the guts, dark spots,

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-79043481729615614642012-01-06T23:48:00.000-08:002012-01-06T23:48:23.346-08:00

My little sister convinced me (without trying) that I needed one more class. And with that Molded Papier-Mâché Dress Form made from a plaster mold I plan to tackle sometime this year (and its corresponding fabric cover), draping will be an exciting new approach to design. #2002 An Introduction to Draping Jan Bones, Lingerie Secrets Draping is the art of creating clothing on a body or a dress

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-77834134535657968322012-01-06T18:40:00.000-08:002012-01-06T18:40:31.977-08:00

Cashing in on that plan to make clothing this year, my card is charged and classes registered-- the Sewing & Stitchery Expo is in March! If this ends up similar to last year's experience then I'm bound to be overwhelmed with new ideas and information, taking home loads of notes, and buying patterns and drooling over fabric and notions. I'm so glad my mom decided to make this her annual birthday

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-34728586637153977752012-01-03T14:30:00.000-08:002012-01-03T20:02:54.941-08:00

Today I received an email inquiring about the actual ingredient list/recipe used for one of my canning batches and it forced me to devote some time and thought to the idea of listing an entire recipe on my blog, and what proper method of citing sources should be used. The internet is a treasure trove of information and I'm always quick to cite the books I use with an amazon link, but fearing

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-8251066592044207892011-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:002011-12-31T13:00:04.260-08:00

I hate to pick favorites from the activities I do, but canning definitely won this year because it's hard to beat delicious food and kitchen romance. Doesn't mean I entirely gave up my other endeavors... it's just that I wasn't quite as good. Beer happened, and then I stopped for good reason. There was that ginger beer homebrew turned bomb... (drank about 10 bottles, 20 down the drain) Followed

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-72792135390716812562011-12-31T01:03:00.000-08:002011-12-31T01:03:31.210-08:00

Last January I made a plan to be more productive, a celebration and cultivation of my skills. Many of the goals slipped away as time passed and production stopped altogether for a few months while I sorted through some life changes and worked out of state for a month, but as life does, it all worked out. I dreamed a lofty goal of canning 12 batches of something or other... and with help from

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-906118778632975352011-12-30T21:28:00.000-08:002011-12-30T21:33:17.583-08:00

At some point last year I realized Christmas would be infinitely better with hand knitted socks on the mantel, rather than some bright and annual oversized stocking that carried little meaning. I've always felt a little love goes a long way when tucked into the process of creation and given to someone special., and in the holiday season I find most of my happiness is directly tied to the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-68060972271408117342011-12-30T18:14:00.000-08:002011-12-30T18:14:13.965-08:00

From the same plants that provided a bounty of under-ripe fruit for pickled green tomatoes came delicious yellow pear tomatoes, a tiny variety of bell-shaped fruits that were ripe and ready to be used. Pulling a recipe from page 198 of the Farm Journal Freezing & Canning Cookbook: Prized Recipes from the Farms of America, Revised Edition, I jumped into action with the recipe for tomato preserves.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-67732715439519404422011-12-28T00:06:00.000-08:002011-12-28T00:06:13.486-08:00

Feed me pickled green beans (with a meal of bloody marys) and you'll be my best friend. Using a recipe from Blue Ribbon Preserves: Secrets to Award-Winning Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and More on page 169, dilled green beans, I tried a new method of processing that calls for longer water-bath processing at a slightly lower temperature. The idea is that keeping the temperature between 180 and 185

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-64017339319796611122011-12-27T00:38:00.000-08:002011-12-27T00:38:48.436-08:00

  Back on July 17th I kicked off the canning season with a bang, putting up blueberry lime jam-turned-syrup, honey lemon lavender jelly, and preserved figs all on one eventful Sunday. The figs happened first and the recipe came from my friend's copy of The Art of Preserving (Williams-Sonoma)-- luckily for any of you interested in trying it yourself but not buying the book, they've also posted

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-4527440658171360372011-12-20T23:13:00.000-08:002011-12-20T23:21:37.805-08:00

I love onions. The crunch and bite of them raw, the smooth caramelized sugars when cooked slowly, and the black bits of roasted chunks. Serve them any way and I will most likely eat them. Mid-summer seemed a good time for canning with my beau as we got to know each other so the same day fennel found its way into our bags, bright purple onions beckoned from a stand and went home with us too for a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-75900752136104895112011-12-20T23:04:00.000-08:002011-12-20T23:21:56.387-08:00

That's it. If I'm going to document my year's canning endeavors before the year's end... well, there's no messing around. The River Cottage Preserves Handbook + A Farmers' Market Date + Time in the kitchen = Pickled Florence Fennel! An easy spring/summer pickle when fennel flows freely from farmers. Total 6 half pints from the River Cottage recipe on page 97, doubled.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-67465107384589777392011-12-01T23:34:00.000-08:002011-12-01T23:34:01.483-08:00

I'm curious, what's your most commonly used canned food? Whether home-canned or store-bought, fresh or preserved, I find that tomatoes sustain me year round. In cooking I frequently crack open a jar or find the can opener, using one my favorite garden delights as a base for soups, stews, pasta, curries, sauces, etc and often finding myself in a pinch when I run out unexpectedly. My awesome

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-46543775268418902512011-11-30T00:05:00.000-08:002011-12-06T00:11:33.720-08:00

Utah is special to me and my mom's garden in Utah even more special, so when I saw the pear tomato plants hanging heavy with unused fruit back in my October visit I jumped into action. I though surely that itty bitty tomatoes, yellow pear-shaped things would be too dainty and cute to be canned-- not true! The 8 pounds of pear tomatoes turned into a lovely lemon tomato jam and an experiment of

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-14401445196592925952011-11-23T21:45:00.000-08:002011-11-23T21:45:58.199-08:00

Much gratitude. Relationships. With my family, friends, beau, coworkers, roommate. I feel lucky to have people in my life that share their personal knowledge, empathy, wit, compassion, generosity, patience and values-- being surrounded by good, kind people is important to me. Stability. Some days I feel poor, trapped, stricken with some discontent malaise... and then I see that it's not terrible

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-84808982461562961082011-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:002011-11-13T09:00:01.429-08:00

Pickled beets represent nearly 24 years worth of Sunday dinners to me. With a pot roast and vegetables on the table, or a shepherd's pie and hot rolls, pickled beets made a weekly appearance on that special day when the entire family gathered together. I'd drive home from college nearly every Sunday, and even as my older brother and sister-in-law had their own kids they still came over most

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-68248542005177012682011-11-13T00:23:00.000-08:002011-11-13T00:24:30.428-08:00

 The more I spin, the more I find myself loving sheep's wool above all else. Yes, yak down, camel, and silk are all luscious fibers but the broad range of breeds makes sheep the most appealing fiber animal to me-- their fiber can be durable, cozy, soft, coarse, strong, fine, springy, etc. According to the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook, a newly published compendium detailing the characteristics of

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-63798708110662001892011-11-11T12:29:00.000-08:002011-11-12T21:51:51.258-08:00

Wool = happiness. Many months back I sauntered on down to the Puyallup fair grounds for the Shepherd's Extravaganza, a part of the Spring Fair that celebrates wooly goodness. It may have been a tad less exciting than monster trucks and demolition derbies but it paired well with the mutton bustin' we saw. Judges rated the best fleeces and awarded corresponding ribbons, vendors sold prepared fiber

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-9302349495444973542011-11-10T18:31:00.000-08:002011-11-10T22:04:26.727-08:00

 The intrinsic reward of giving something handmade is apparently great enough to convince me to knit man socks ;). Using a pattern from the book Getting Started Knitting Socks (my go-to sock bible that taught the very basic steps in sock knitting, and walked me through my very first pair a few years ago), I measured his feet so they'd be custom fit and jumped right into the Right Twist Cable Rib

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-91389208093100176962011-10-30T22:43:00.001-07:002011-11-10T18:18:39.694-08:00

Tomatoes are one of the quintessential canned foods in my life, lined up nicely in the pantry with jars of peaches, pickles and green beans. The luscious red fruits are eye candy when they make first appearances at the farmers market, beckoning to be purchased and sliced, served fresh on toast with bacon and tender greens. Always seeming too soon, winter rushes tomatoes from the vine and into

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-86869422518435365922011-10-19T16:17:00.000-07:002011-10-19T16:17:01.596-07:00

Once upon a time I met the new guy in the office and we connected over our shared interests in food and farmstuffs, so I invited him over to put up a batch of preserves together. You might laugh that my first date with someone would be over a day of canning but I feel it's quite appropriate. :)   Honey Lemon Lavender Jelly was an easy recipe I found online after a little google search provided

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-86137806612781002382011-10-18T17:00:00.003-07:002011-10-18T17:00:03.504-07:00

In canning there are two possible outcomes: Good or not quite so good. Ever an optimist, I do understand there can be bad outcomes (i.e. broken jars or botulism) but the reality is 100% of my canning experiences have been educational, rewarding, tasty and productive, if not exactly right. Sometimes things just don't turn out as planned, even with a tested recipe and the best intentions and that's

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-73944732296723578652011-10-17T18:46:00.002-07:002011-10-17T18:59:07.507-07:00

As autumn's warmth turns cool and harvest is over, winter begins to make its first appearances in my hometown of northern Utah. Dry grass and leaves crunch underfoot with the first frosts and I remember the air being chilled and my breath visible when I waited for the bus as a child. These are the memories of seasons gone-by, as the glowing leaves are replaced by glowing fire; as night games in

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-32640743554183317632011-10-16T20:39:00.005-07:002011-10-16T20:51:45.918-07:00

Knitters, grab a tissue for I am about to share the saddest and most shameful knitting story I own.... Back on July 2nd I began knitting a beautiful pair of Malabrigo green merino socks for myself. The first sock was started while I attended my friend’s birth as a doula so it has all these beautiful memories that go with it. Touching, sappy, blah blah blah. I know. Sentimental knitting is

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-51069745937988882152011-10-14T19:33:00.001-07:002011-10-14T19:34:30.132-07:00

I know, the idea of canning leftover pickle brine into jelly might seem unappetizing but the syrup produced from pickling foraged crab apples was delightful. The cider vinegar brine was spiced with cinnamon, allspice and cloves and contained a fair bit of sugar, making it a tasty sweet/sour treat. I added some pectin to thicken the brew with only mild success. It's runny, not quite spreadable

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-64544059811227919292011-10-12T15:21:00.002-07:002011-10-17T17:27:32.386-07:00

As I was planning for the trip to Utah my little sister informed me that a crab apple tree was running rampant on the grounds of her house/apartment and going unused. Cue excitement! Being sweet, she and her husband kindly picked something like 7 pounds of those tart beauties and indulged my canning whims by simply handing them over. Deciding between crab apple jelly or pickled fruit was hard but

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-15153921747016122482011-10-06T23:33:00.002-07:002011-10-07T08:46:47.104-07:00

I wish this photo would accurately show the color of the jam, a brilliant shade comparable to the beets you see in the background. Every morning when the sun rays shone on the canned goods this jam stood out as a true beauty-- slightly translucent with floating bits of fruit matter. But what really makes this jam special is the origin of the fruit, wild plums that my grandparents picked from the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-31112520202557403722011-10-06T22:02:00.004-07:002011-10-17T18:53:32.269-07:00

A trip to Utah to see family? A list of happiness, of course. Driving the back roads home from Willard. Purchasing an entire *bushel* of peaches. That's roughly 50 pounds. And a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes.  Chickens in the yard, eggs in the basket. Lots of hugs and happiness. Grandparents. Old wisdom. Family dinner. All my siblings, nephews, parents and even all my grandparents. 14 people full of

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-1292548453490791592011-10-01T09:44:00.000-07:002011-10-01T09:44:34.403-07:00

The same day nectarines begged to be pickled a few weeks back I overheard some plums at the farmers market asking to be jammed. How could I refuse? The River Cottage Preserves Handbook has a very simple recipe (pg. 61 of the American version) that involves cooking down the plums with water and sugar and adding a couple sticks of cinnamon to move it  from a ho-hum fruit preserve to a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-54246638126870607742011-09-28T21:56:00.004-07:002011-12-09T12:54:49.202-08:00

Lunchtime lingers so easily when it is filled with good company and wild rose hips. After seeing bushes loaded with beautiful orange-red berries around our office in Seattle, my new office crush and I learned that the bushes were wild roses, aka dog rose, and the berries were the infamous rose hip best known in my life experience as a dried tart, sweet fruity tea. Historically, however, rose hips

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1Seattle, WA, USA47.6062095 -122.332070847.485093 -122.4497023 47.727326 -122.2144393tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-74554013732235984572011-09-28T14:20:00.002-07:002011-09-28T14:48:47.047-07:00

Some days you gotta leave the city, scoot away, even if it's just to a smaller town 30 miles away. On a jaunt to Snohomish where antique stores overrun the main strip, my beau and I noticed the market for Stocker Farms was open and made a mental note to swing by on our way out. A surprise car show, loud music, and two "antiques" later (a chinois for jelly-making and an old canning/preserving

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2Seattle, WA, USA47.6062095 -122.332070847.43492 -122.64792779999999 47.777499 -122.0162138tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-34220325167757309172011-09-18T14:27:00.002-07:002011-09-18T14:38:38.093-07:00

What's that you ask? Fruit pickles? Yes! I've recently been cued in to the tradition of pickling fruits that fell out of fashion some years ago and is making a resurgence among the home-canning crowd. Serious Eats provided the recipe which only took about 45 minutes to an hour to complete, beginning to end. I might have sneaked a little taste after the nectarines were blanched in brine and

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-85957802387744985082011-09-13T21:12:00.003-07:002011-10-04T09:01:55.794-07:00

 It doesn't look pretty but is delicious! Tart, spiced, savory and sweet. Roasted down 4.5 pounds of rhubarb with garlic and red onion, later sieving it and simmering with spices, vinegar and sugar, then bam! Flavor burst! Thanks to River Cottage Preserves Handbook for the tasty recipe and the reminder that ketchup isn't just for tomatoes. Planning a trip home to Utah to be with my family!

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-16606420390568740792011-08-17T20:32:00.000-07:002011-09-13T21:19:41.470-07:00

Oops. A forgotten post last month. Some (most) days I represent a stereotypical small town farm girl-- naive, bewildered and unassuming. Young and inexperienced. Rough on the edges. And some (most) days I have mixed emotions about it. And now for a list of happiness because it's been a while: I'm employed. That means I didn't get laid off! Summer vegetables swimming in brine. Jars of joy!

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-24743898844893586432011-08-15T20:47:00.000-07:002011-08-15T20:47:12.765-07:00

My relationship with naughty cat took a turn for the best and soon, if not already, I will be labeled crazy cat lady. After amassing more kitty fuzz than you want to know, I've taken the plunge into spinning cat hair into yarn. Kitty yarn! Kitten mittens! Thanks Kenobi.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-41811000444769322922011-07-25T00:38:00.002-07:002011-07-25T00:44:46.819-07:00

The Puget Sound Mycological Society presented a hands-on workshop this weekend, Mushrooms for Color; Using Mushrooms as a Natural Dye Source. The class, held at the lovely University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture, was educational and fun-- and we split our time between the classroom and our workspace outside. I love getting my hands dirty. To facilitate sample dying, we started by

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-21376276943248196052011-07-21T23:11:00.000-07:002011-07-21T23:11:01.413-07:00

My mind wanders, drifting into a state of fantasy where farm-fresh food fills the crevices of my mind, where sheep play in pastures, where hands shape the earth into gold. Call me a dreamer but what I want is a farm. A life to make my own. A home to build, a field to turn, a long, hard day. Or as my great-grandma Lena did it, an old tractor with a trailer full of watermelon. *Yum*. She was such a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-28154302142058700612011-06-27T22:40:00.000-07:002011-06-27T22:40:57.779-07:00

This is my kind of lady, the one who climbs a fence in her dress, heels and fur-lined coat. The type who balances delicately on top of said fence post and seduces the camera by being both bold and coy in the same photograph. The one to brush off formal codes of conduct. Meet my great-grandmother, my mom's maternal grandma, Ms. Lena Vaseline Westmoreland White. One of my heroes.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-42032907193568694902011-06-25T18:53:00.002-07:002011-06-25T18:53:36.614-07:00

My little sister introduced me to this spoken word artist, and I especially identify with this piece today. xo.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-22657154015033937232011-06-23T23:17:00.001-07:002011-06-24T11:31:01.098-07:00

Some days the best you can do is admit defeat, total failure, and see where it takes you.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-70707884003611568542011-06-19T19:40:00.000-07:002011-06-19T19:40:41.190-07:00

You are awesome. Thank you for teaching me the values of our family, for raising all 5 kids with love and tenderness, for teaching me the discipline of hard work and the skill of domesticity.   To Dad: You taught me how to ride a horse, check the oil in my car, get by on little sleep, and stand up for myself. You included me in all manners of life, regardless of my sex. I have you to thank for

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-72504986072535939482011-06-02T01:23:00.002-07:002011-10-17T20:18:39.073-07:00

I am finally in Seattle. Three weeks in Alabama doing disaster relief after the tornadoes reached its end and I made my way to Utah for a family wedding. After the rush and whirlwind of the past month I am finally back in my own home, back in my cubicle at work, back to normal life. Can you believe I didn't step foot into my office during the month of May? That blows my mind! Tonight I spent an

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-59489891732525584412011-05-26T22:56:00.005-07:002011-08-17T23:00:32.160-07:00

Pre-wedding sauna and massage with sister, right after getting picked up from the airport. Thanks mama! Saigon Towers vietnamese beef salad (comfort food of my childhood, was next door to my mom's store for a few years). Late nights hangin' with the fam, talking and laughing. Driving dad's huge truck around. *giggle* Gifts to my nephews. Rowdy boys. A big kiss on the cheek from my daddy.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-61759344261457564472011-05-22T23:32:00.000-07:002011-05-22T23:32:24.854-07:00

I am home, and oh the beauty of home. List of happiness ensues: My very own apartment. Total freedom. A fluffy loving cat. Sunny Friday = crawled out of the loft window and waxed my legs on the roof, in the sun. Seattle sun. Take a moment to absorb the meaning of seattle + sun. Goodwill shopping for the first time in months. New (old) sewing patterns. Yarn spinning. Lots of it. Proof to come

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-7777763258202535162011-05-16T22:16:00.000-07:002011-05-16T22:16:38.466-07:00

Getting honest, This has been a crazy month, just a bundle of emotions and experiences and huge life changes for myself and the people around me. For the entire month of May I will spend approximately 4 days in my apartment, the apartment that I am going home to in a few days to find half empty. In this month I will have said goodbye to a 2.5 year relationship and my roommate/best friend. I will

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-32649000647471853562011-05-14T16:53:00.001-07:002011-05-14T16:53:31.937-07:00

Yesterday the emotions of this work caught up with me. My Red Cross integrated care team has mostly finalized our work with hospitalized patients injured by the tornadoes and began stepping into more condolence visits with families that lost loved ones.It has been interesting to see and hear people in different stages of the grieving process two weeks after it began. It is hard to comprehend the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-20650908538878112882011-05-13T05:40:00.000-07:002011-05-13T09:46:09.452-07:00

This will be a piecemeal entry because I had a draft post that was never sent. Day 10: Today is a beautiful day. I feel well rested, enjoy the team I have been working with, and my supervisor has been honest and available and kind. In the midst of chaos it's apparent who can handle the stress and who needs extra support. I feel very lucky that I could be honest with my supervisors and have some

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-4051247788131476342011-05-08T11:50:00.001-07:002011-05-08T13:02:39.287-07:00

Dear Alabama, I thought maybe I would like to live with you someday because this is such a beautiful, sunny, humid state that has the cutest old ladies with their heavy southern drawl. But then I realized that you have deadly tornadoes and hurricanes, don't have sidewalks (which eliminates the idea of crosswalks at intersections), public transit doesn't run on Sundays, and googlemaps isn't

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-81537647327992144892011-05-06T21:15:00.001-07:002011-05-06T21:15:38.069-07:00

I'm losing track of the number of days I have been here and the day of the week. Apparently it's Friday, which means today is day 7. Half my time is done. Crazy. I feel like I am just getting started on the work.Today I made a few important realizations for myself that I would like to share. The first is that I feel lucky to have been trained in casework the way I was (which I think should be the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-61026078634470133982011-05-05T20:38:00.001-07:002011-05-05T20:38:51.734-07:00

A quick check in.In terms of my spirit and attitude today was the best day I have had since leaving Seattle. The hard case I worked yesterday came full circle and I found closure in the way the family was coping with their loss. I've had more hard cases. It's not easy to hear about death, or see injuries in the hospital. I understand my purpose here and today I felt fulfilled.Now if we could just

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-55869453590274515532011-05-04T22:08:00.000-07:002011-05-04T22:09:00.509-07:00

Nationally, the American Red Cross is busy. "Since operations began on March 31, the American Red Cross has served 513,873 meals and snacks, opened 122 shelters with 8,322 overnight stays; made over 6,206 health and mental health contacts, and distributed 122,234 bulk items. These operations have been supported by 3,750 volunteers and staff, 153 ERV's, and 11 Emergency Communication Response

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-65032447811298865022011-05-03T20:54:00.001-07:002011-05-03T20:54:55.262-07:00

A new kind of tired settled into my bones today, the type that comes with the uncertainty of what will happen next (and the kind that happens after 3 nights on a cot in a room with over 300 other people). I am learning so much about what it means to wait patiently in this context, how important flexibility is as plans can change. I've also been trying to watch what types of snacks I am eating as

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-53773674665665031922011-05-02T19:09:00.001-07:002011-05-02T19:09:08.386-07:00

Another day has passed, day 3 of my 14 day deployment. The weather here is nice, 80 - 85 during the day, 70 in the evenings. We are expecting thunder and lightning in the next couple days with potential tornadoes so are getting prepared to take shelter if needed.We are still in wait mode. After our job introduction and orientation my friend Sandra and I helped with administrative tasks today

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-79179771286675667652011-05-01T21:59:00.001-07:002011-05-01T21:59:36.680-07:00

An update for my friends and family...Trying to write down my experiences...Hi mom,Not sure if my text went through earlier but you can see what our sleeping arrangements kind of look like with about 300 in the staff shelter. It is interesting trying to sleep this way, very hard with all the sounds and movement. I have much more sympathy for our clients in shelters now-- I am glad we provide cots

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-72879351811348079532011-03-19T14:02:00.001-07:002011-03-19T14:02:45.460-07:00

I realize that I'm a bit behind schedule on my March knitting and spinning and brewing so I better get busy. I picked up a spindle two nights ago and I'd say I'm making good progress. And the socks I initially cursed? Not so bad!

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-29881470244116529572011-03-19T13:56:00.004-07:002011-09-02T16:32:58.513-07:00

Meet Dinosaur Kale (and Dinosaur Carson). I came into an abundance of organic kale through a friend and as a means of somehow preserving a bit (there's no way I can eat the lot fresh before it goes bad), I did a canning experiement: Pickled Greens. I could not find any resources on canning hardy winter greens such as kale, chard, etc but it's quite possible that canning kale might result in a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-20420801427628877002011-03-17T00:40:00.000-07:002011-03-17T00:40:23.966-07:00

Five ladies, including myself, from our knitting group went gallivanting on Orcas Island for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city. To summarize: Farm visit, baby lambs, knitting, roasted chicken and peanut soup, love talk, baby talk, yogurt with the fixings for dessert, hot springs, rain, tsunami advisory, laughter, feminine wisdom, farming, outdoor shower, dream family,

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-47570353070783243332011-03-16T22:20:00.002-07:002011-03-17T00:40:53.633-07:00

It's all I can do to sit here in front of the blue screen of this laptop, wasting my night away in the beautiful recesses of cooking, knitting, spinning and photography blogs. I had big plans for my evening you know, plans that involved cara cara oranges and glass jars... but I will save that for later. The sleepy bug seems to have set in. Crimped wool, fluffy wool, long wool, curly wool. Sheep

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-11381862634346630112011-03-09T18:46:00.001-08:002011-03-09T18:47:57.674-08:00

And so are my hands, at least they will be soon. What's that a picture of below you wonder, that big round wooden gadget that looks oh-so-beautiful? That's my new spinning wheel (nevermind the current owner's garage)! It's an Ashford Traditional, single treadle, single drive. It will be in my possession within ten days; it just needs to get from Portland to Seattle so I likely will be making a

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-86949292202493724472011-03-04T01:05:00.001-08:002011-03-04T01:06:04.376-08:00

Dear Pointelle, You are an utterly striking, unique beautiful lady-sock. Those sweeping lines you have, the feminine yet bold way you hug the body, they really got me excited when I first saw you! I'm a little surprised that I paid for you (Knit. Sock. Love.), picked you up, brought you home to meet my mom (who is visiting from out of state!) and expected our introductions to go well. "Going

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-88983257448629273732011-02-28T17:35:00.001-08:002011-12-06T18:56:11.920-08:00

Yum. This recipe came from the book Pickles and Relishes, full of recipes that hit on pretty much every season and include crock pickles, heat-processed pickles and refrigerator pickles. The fixings for this recipe include beets, cabbage, onion, celery, caraway, horseradish, sugar and vinegar, creating a memorable experience for my palate. I picked up the veggies for this batch from the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-36184714386228380022011-02-28T16:21:00.001-08:002011-02-28T16:28:04.538-08:00

You know what they say about a man with big feet, right? That his socks take FOREVER to knit! These socks were the marathon of sock knitting-- 11.5 inches from heel to toe plus the cuff. Imagine that you enjoy running (I do not). Now imagine the run taking much longer than you imagined and you've got to run in circles, sometimes jog backwards, run out of stamina, and then get to the end just to

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-2464355781321295802011-02-28T01:30:00.000-08:002011-02-28T01:30:48.568-08:00

On the fateful day of February 14th, also known as St. Valentines Day, two departments in our office faced head-to-head in a chocolate themed cook off. Hoping to sway the numbers in our favor I contributed three dishes: Homemade Vanilla Wafers dipped in Semi-Sweet Chocolate, topped with Orange Marmalade; Mom's Cream Cheese Cupcakes (aka blackbottom cupakes); and Vegetarian Chili con Chipotle y

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-88839596069020166672011-02-28T00:46:00.000-08:002011-02-28T00:46:15.136-08:00

I started this brew just a couple days before the explosion of my January batch of ginger beer and my brewing mojo took a blow. Regardless, this batch is nearing the end of fermentation and will be ready to bottle in a couple days and after a few months of aging to round out the bitterness I will sample and report back. It's too bad I couldn't get freshly dried wormwood flowers for the aroma...

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-21004834455994831982011-02-25T19:04:00.000-08:002011-02-25T19:04:50.442-08:00

Dear Seattle, Your expansive views are breathtaking; watching your sun set is a treat. Deeper and deeper, into the horizon it slips. Until focus is lost in your soft light.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-8901254623620150852011-02-24T12:21:00.001-08:002011-02-24T12:22:21.708-08:00

It's a snow day here in Seattle so I'm at home doing some online trainings rather than sitting in the office. Lucky! This afforded me the chance to make one of my favorite foods for lunch: Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce. These are quick, easy and fill my frequent craving for leafy greens and rice-based dishes. The varieties are limitless, though my preferred rolls typically include salad

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-55128126693933484212011-02-22T22:25:00.001-08:002011-02-22T22:28:14.286-08:00

A few years back one of my roommates had an eye-catching sticker on the refrigerator from The Beer Nut in Salt Lake City, which said "MAKE BEER NOT BOMBS." Well here I am, asking if it's possible to shift the paradigm and have the best of both worlds. Couldn't we just have beer bombs? The resounding answer is: yes. The proof is in my kitchen cupboard. I came home tonight eager to see my man and

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-44962235460282137832011-02-21T20:13:00.000-08:002011-02-21T20:13:45.543-08:00

This month I took a "canning" class, and I use the term canning loosely in this situation to describe the process of making a food that is shelf stable for a period of time, from Seattle Can Can at a neighborhood store called Goods for the Planet. We bottled our very own habenero hot sauce! I don't have the exact recipe, but we essentially softened some diced bell peppers and habeneros in

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-58416857600466559492011-02-21T15:03:00.001-08:002011-02-21T20:41:09.097-08:00

With an easy morning ahead of us and some groceries in the fridge, Carson and I set out to bake a quiche and have a relaxing holiday. I think we achieved the goal. A couple weeks ago we bought a bone-in ham and froze many small bags of ham for treats like this. I see a pot of soup with the bone sometime in the near future. But for this dish we used the following: ~3/4 c chopped ham 1/2 c

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-11722635416629735322011-02-20T13:17:00.002-08:002011-02-20T13:18:34.588-08:00

Last October Carson and I took a halloween trip to Doe Bay on Orcas Island and on our vacation we made a quick stop at Warm Valley Orchard, a quaint farmhouse that advertised wool for sale. I'm a sucker for all things fiber, and their sheep in the meadows beckoned me. Well, I've now converted a beautiful merino top into what I imagine will end up as fingering-weight yarn. The singles were spun on

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-12332095645308861682011-02-17T11:08:00.000-08:002011-02-17T11:08:50.422-08:00

Dear Universe, Please grant me the wherewithal to have a small cottage and couple of cats, with a bit of land for sheep and chickens. I need a large garden space, some fruit and nut trees, and wouldn't mind having friendly neighbors. I am more than willing to share this dream and space with other like-minded individuals/families in cooperative manner. As they say, "Many hands make light work." 

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-29823103359710737302011-02-14T01:22:00.002-08:002011-02-17T11:09:47.596-08:00

I'm sure y'all remember the classic 3rd grade science experiment, a wild volcano made out of clay with a hidden vat of vinegar inside just waiting for a bit of baking soda. The anticipation, the build up, and the sudden foaming and wild run-off of sour liquid that mixed the paints and colors into a muddy mess, effectively turning a work of art into a blob. Right? I had the same shock and awe

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-60498952909067244762011-02-09T23:51:00.001-08:002011-02-17T11:11:12.437-08:00

Do you ever take a step back and look at where you are standing, and say "Wow, my feet are planted firmly in the ground," and feel shocked? Slap me silly, but I have a full time, salaried position with benefits. I'm in(doors) one place long enough to have a cat. I have a gym pass, and a relatively stable long-term relationship. I am living the American Dream... and I guess this is what I've

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-47142904131487642492011-02-06T15:58:00.002-08:002011-02-06T17:54:30.298-08:00

Behold the finished product of many months' slow and spotty work: Autumn Stripes, a pair of Noro Striped Knee-Highs. I started this project back in September of 2010 and was surprised how monotonous the endless length of stockinette stitch began to seem after only the first sock. And I still had a whole 2nd sock to go! I find myself entertaining similar thoughts and feelings when knitting man

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-33234725051458827912011-02-01T23:51:00.004-08:002011-02-06T20:28:36.815-08:00

What started as raw fiber from Utah of an unknown sheep breed (maybe Corriedale or Romney?) that was already scoured and drum carded-- a gift from Carson's mom she bought from a farmer-- and a low whorl drop spindle that I picked up at the goodwill for 99 cents (SCORE!): With a lot of love, time and effort slowly became this, tightly spun singles of a fiber that contained a lot of vegetable

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-59490238518187862062011-02-01T22:52:00.001-08:002011-02-06T20:29:29.091-08:00

Socks: A straightforward knitting project. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. No questions about the basic approach to socks. C'mon, I've read Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd like ten times. It's pretty much memorized.  No problems with the toe decreases. I can turn a heel with my eyes closed. Socks, how simple! Not. I thought all of that was true until this yarn came to visit. "Hey girl, feel

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-55217243996769802282011-01-30T17:58:00.006-08:002011-02-22T22:32:10.080-08:00

I love ginger. Ginger ale, ginger tea, ginger water, ginger candy. The spicier my ginger beverage, the better-- I want to feel that invigorating ginger kick. Ginger is known for it's exciting properties, and soothing effect on an upset stomach. According to Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner (and many other sources, as the information is well-known), this amazing root aids

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-48432077980167176342011-01-30T16:41:00.003-08:002011-01-31T16:07:07.910-08:00

Remembering my New Year's goals while at the grocery yesterday, I noticed that organic mandarin oranges were on sale and bought about 4 pounds with a plan to find a recipe for orange marmalade that I could modify to fit what I was imagining. With a bit of memory pulling and help of Google Reader, I referenced back to the citrus challenge from  the Can Jam recipes hosted by Tigress in a Jam and

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-80796716222970823662011-01-30T15:44:00.003-08:002011-01-31T13:22:29.246-08:00

I am taking some time to rewind and document the happenings of my life in the recent past. I love my where my life is sitting right now; I have fun, stay busy, and have been enjoying time with Carson and Kenobi (my cat). For the New Year I've struggled with the idea of resolutions. But I did make a few goals for myself,  as follows: 2011 is going to be the year of production. Big plans. Brew (

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-71462558849227879992011-01-03T23:32:00.003-08:002011-01-03T23:47:49.030-08:00

October 3, 2010 in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. We were simply exploring, no eating, not even any tasting. A few in the photos are definitely poisonous. At least one is definitely edible. The pure beauty of fungus. I'm considering joining the Puget Sound Mycological Society to learn more. I'd really like to forage my own mushrooms for cooking/eating and wool/yarn dyeing (like this

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-32371915951156946702011-01-03T22:54:00.000-08:002011-01-03T22:54:43.924-08:00

9/26/08. Thinking of Grandpa. Sleeping on the trampoline in the backyard on warm summer nights as a child was a pleasure and I could always count on hearing my grandfather's whistling from the cab of a grumbly old feed truck as he drove down the highway. If I had an especially lazy morning and Grandpa wanted Ty to go to work with him it was guaranteed he would either wake me up with his

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-62584228281494334402011-01-03T22:51:00.002-08:002011-01-31T13:23:38.078-08:00

Another forgotten post from 1/17/10 -- adventures in  canning pear chutney. The bare bones recipe: 16 c pears, chopped (unpeeled) 6 c apple cider vinegar 8 c sugar 5 inches fresh ginger 2.5 c dried cranberries 2 jalapenos (not hot at all, triple next time) 1 jumbo yellow onion 1 tsp allspice 1tsp cardamom 1 tsp cinnamon Combine all ingredients in a large pot, simmer for a few hours until the

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-47438129930481238242011-01-03T22:32:00.000-08:002011-01-03T22:32:54.845-08:00

A forgotten post from a meandering mind, left in draft state from 5/31/09: Tonight I arrived home to a reflection of myself in the mirror, a shapely woman in cycling spandex with curves, and mentally thanked my mom for her genes. As I have transformed from a pubescent girl to a youthful teenager, and now onto a young adult, my vision of who I am more closely aligns with the memories of who my

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-58701791476335567802010-09-25T16:31:00.001-07:002011-01-31T13:25:01.052-08:00

Warning: This post contains upsetting stories about careless use of yarn in public. I’m so STOOOOPID. ARGHHH!I had a beautiful afternoon. Biked around the city and ended up at Lake Union (where I think they’re having the grand opening of the park?). But then I got a little claustrophobic like I always do in crowds and picked the least crowded, sunniest place to sit-- the pier. To knit. To knit

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-22444676179289055602010-09-21T20:42:00.001-07:002011-11-11T11:04:19.108-08:00

*Note, I took a mushroom dye class! Carson and I went backpacking last weekend, opting to hike during the dark and rain. What an idea. The rain chased us up the trail, we set up camp quickly, and huddled into the tent to avoid getting any more soaked than we already were. At 3 am I woke up and looked outside to see that our tent was completely surrounded by a lake of water 1-2inches deep in

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-90392824291124173812010-09-10T00:39:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:39:14.032-07:00

A tasty dinner of zucchini (stuffed with cheese, onions, sesame oil and breadcrumbs) baked with lentils. Topped with a bit of tasty hot sauce and light sour cream on the side.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-50207220361607787552010-09-09T23:18:00.003-07:002011-02-17T21:32:34.561-08:00

The knitting is finally complete!

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-11418975594602688022010-09-02T13:40:00.000-07:002010-09-02T13:40:14.532-07:00

Ahhh. That's the sound of me relaxing every day this week. I am taking two weeks of vacation for myself before I start my new position and the days have been very nice. My first client is due to have her baby in about two weeks so I am on call (my first doula gig!) and cannot leave town, though that isn't stopping me from having a great time. I made yeasty pancakes for breakfast and served them

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-46693904159421266582010-09-01T11:49:00.001-07:002010-09-03T09:00:58.933-07:00

This past year came and went quickly. The blur/haze of everything stands testament to the fact that we were busy, very very busy. I love the work that I did for the Red Cross, and I love the friends that I made in the VISTA program. Our site had unusually high numbers for VISTA this year and I feel lucky that there was such a large support network of my peers. We commiserated about the woes of

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-83857225790845009722010-07-14T10:40:00.000-07:002010-07-14T10:40:53.074-07:00

The appeal of being unemployed in the near future is marred only by the expectation from my landlord that the apartment I live in will be paid for on the first of every month. And while my rent seems reasonable for Seattle, no rent is affordable for someone without income. *Cue job search. I am confident that today will go well. 6.5 weeks left in my VISTA term and I'm ready, very very ready, to

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-70086379927216389602010-04-11T21:10:00.001-07:002010-04-11T21:11:04.514-07:00

A couple films are about to make their debut, highlight the way new life is brought into and brought up in this world. Awesome! Doula! The Ultimate Birth Companion, is a documentary (by the producer of Real Birth Stories) that follows three birth doulas and shows what sort of care these women provide to the expecting/birthing mother, her support network, and the newest family addition once it

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-48784995194800847752010-04-10T23:27:00.001-07:002010-04-11T08:13:53.559-07:00

The Sacred Doula Workshop/class/retreat is happening in less than two weeks and I could not be more excited! It will be a week of absolute bliss, including soaking in the soothing waters of Breitenbush Hot Springs, eating wholesome vegetarian meals, and exploring the remote wilderness where I will be staying for a week without cellular reception or internet. I look forward to learning about

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-39158390096174198682010-02-23T22:36:00.004-08:002010-04-11T08:12:08.250-07:00

My life has been hectic, but mostly I have been too happy and busy to bother writing. The Red Cross has kept me on my toes for the past few months and I'm glad to say that our efforts are producing results. In terms of shelter volunteer recruitment, intake and training, our little department of 4 worker bees has brought in nearly 700 people since October 17th. Let me rub my eyes and repeat that.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-27507552449213392112009-12-01T11:50:00.001-08:002009-12-02T09:39:06.279-08:00

After weeks (months) of rain, I stepped outside today for 10 minutes and stretched my body toward the sun. My face felt the warmth if its rays and pure gratitude took over my heart. The effect something so simple as sunshine can have on my mind is amazing.I felt like a bear creeping out of its cave, cowering under the intense light, closing my eyes and feeling the light on my ivory skin.

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-40274564822601609282009-10-26T01:37:00.002-07:002009-10-26T02:12:41.677-07:00

24 years and 7 minutes ago (Utah time) I took my first breath of air. This is the first birthday I will celebrate without my family and friends.... No party, no birthday dinner, no birthday cake. Is this what it means to get older? No fun!I'm homesick.Thank you Mom for your thoughtful care package. Thank you Dad for the early birthday phone call. Thank you Mr. C for planning a thoughtful trip to

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-36018325947698907032009-10-18T18:06:00.005-07:002009-10-19T11:43:10.860-07:00

Bob the House is my new home.This is my room:From Autumn 09And some views of the the central areas of the house. Notice the bulk food (all communal), the refrigerators (two for 9 people), and the extensive kitchen seating. We are like one big family, only unrelated and living together by choice.From Autumn 09I spent most of my day washing jars; scrubbing the grit and grime, the dust, dirt,

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1858763853101235923.post-7666037345097933812009-10-04T15:17:00.002-07:002009-10-04T15:20:02.238-07:00

A stunning view of Lake Union, Gas Works Park, and happy families and friends:From Autumn 09From Autumn 09PS. See the Space Needle? That's just a few blocks from C's apartment!

Amanda Lynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18181209209753748872noreply@blogger.com2