mountain bike monday - superbowl weekend ride

We wanted to beat the rain on Saturday, so we headed out mid-morning to hit the Lakeview Trails at Poco.



The forest is still really wintry looking even though it felt pretty good outside. I had to shed a layer a few miles in, so it warmed up pretty quickly.



The streams are still so pretty no matter what time of year you're out in the park. If you just pay close enough attention you can hear the trickle of the water quickly heading towards the lake.



There weren't many people on the lake Saturday, but there was a good crowd out on the trails. Sometimes it's nice to see other people, and sometimes it's nice to have the park all to yourself.



MBM attempted this log pile. I haven't brought myself to attempt it in a while. I would like to spend a little time practicing one day. Practice does make perfect!



On one section of Lakeview there's a tree slowly sagging lower and lower. See it in the background? Each time we try to go underneath it seems less and less likely that it will be possible to fit. In the pic above we stopped to assess the situation.



As you can tell by the pic above, the creek crossing has gotten some use. It's a little muddy right now. It does still give me some trouble from time to time. I think I need to take a pic at a different angle to try to show you the slope. Maybe next time!



My favorite scenes are the green mosses that grow at the base of the trees and on the rocks in the streams. It reminds me that even though it's winter, things still do thrive. It was a nice day in the park...our trio!



Hope your weekend was lovely!

sweetgrass soap in glorious green

Just close your eyes and pretend you can smell the light sweetgrass fragrance.



Ok...I get a lot of questions about how I make my soap. I'll post detailed photos of the steps at another time, but here's a quick overview.

Well, before it looks all pretty like the photos above it is very much a liquid like this...



Getting the soap to come to trace is a little tricky at times. This means that the soap has to thicken enough to harden later while remaining thin enough to pour into the mold. Because the soap is a traditional lye and oil soap, it is very caustic. This means it can burn you. So, you have to be really careful not to get it on you or the counter! Yes, this does hurt. I keep apple cider vinegar handy (this is a neutralizer).

The pretty green decorations on the soap are called soap sticks...



...and soap curls...



To make these pretties, I cut up a plain bar of colored soap (previously made and slightly hard), into long rectangles. Then, I use a vegetable peeler to "peel" the soap and create the curls. It's actually kinda fun. I know it's not necessary to put all this extra decoration into the soap, but I like to make things pretty and colorful.



If you place the curls and sticks into the liquid in the right places (ideally where your cut lines are for the bars), you get pretty color throughout the bar.



All of this is simply trial and error. Practice does eventually make perfect.



You have to work quickly with the liquid soap. Lots of things can affect how quickly the soap hardens on you. Oftentimes, Dynamo has to lend a hand. While he's pouring I'm mixing the next color or peeling curls!

In the end, if you're lucky, you get prettiness like this soap! And, even though it takes extra time to add the "pretties" to the soap, it's worth it. I think it makes the customer feel pretty when they have something beautiful, both in smell and looks. We all want to feel pretty. That's my goal...to make you feel pretty!

It's February!!!

Well, it's February 1st! I can't believe how fast time flies. I guess that means we're having a lot of fun! And...we sure are! Sometimes I think it flies faster when you're keeping track of the days like I've committed to doing for 2012.

Early in January I posted about my commitment to the Art Calendar 366 Challenge. So, part of that commitment is to write down daily quick tidbits of what you want to remember. I really like this way of keeping track of our memories. It's quick and succinct! I do have an idea to compliment this that I plan to share in the coming days. Stay tuned.

So, for February here is my calendar page...



And...a couple of closeups...





Since I'm big on recycling, I used old manila file folders as the actual blocks for the days. Even the messy hearts are file folders cut up. I try not to waste anything!



I'm excited to see what the other participants have done for their pages. It's fun to learn other peoples' techniques and styles!

And...in case you might be interested, here are two pics from my completed January calendar...

mountain bike monday - the gravel grinder

On Saturday we set out with MBM to take a practice ride on the Monster Cross route. The Monster Cross is a 50 mile race at Poco on February 26. Dynamo is riding in the mountain bike singlespeed category.



First, I'd like to note that the 15 year old hand-me-down bike shoes finally busted. Yes, they were Dynamo's shoes that I've been wearing for 2.5 years. They were Dynamo's first bike shoes. They are a little big, but work perfectly in the winter with two pairs of socks.

The pic is not that great, but you can see the slight crack beneath the clip...Well, it's a BIG crack when the shoes bends...



But...they are now done. They can go no farther. R.I.P. Nikes! They were great shoes!



So, for now I'm wearing Dynamo's Shimanos that are now his warm weather shoes. Again, they are too big, but I make do. I guess this spring I'll have to go out and get myself some bikes shoes because Dynamo will need them back. I guess I'm now on the hunt. If you have any recommendations, I'd like to hear them!

And...I'd also like to note that I have discovered two must haves for the ride. My Profile Design pouch for snacks, maps, and camera...



...and my Six Six One gloves. They rock!



They are super lite, have great gripping power, and even have a little terry cloth section for wiping sweat!



Me, being the navigator for our rides, I had the responsibility of overlaying the Garmin map with the Poco map to make sure we had the route correct.

So, we got going...



Yes, this is a hill...



There were lots of them on this course! look..another one...



And, it was only the beginning of the ride!

Our adventure began at the nature center. We headed up to the front of the park and over to what we call the horse side of the park.



We encountered a few riders of a different type....



Then we came back over to the main park and headed down Fendley Station to the dam where we stopped to photo a father son duo. Notice anything unique about this picture?



Yes, it's a mountain unicycle. WOW! is all I have to say.



We traveled up the park road for a short ways...yes, more hills..





The last 5 or so miles was on Forest Exploration...





There are some big climbs at the start of Forest Exploration...







There was a lot of pedaling...







Then, we passed through the boat ramp and up the hill back to the car.

It was a fantastic ride. I felt pretty good. I was pleased with my ride time and speed. Each time I'm getting stronger and faster. I think I was spot on with the route! The first lap is supposed to be 27.5 miles. We finished the first lap with 27.7 miles on the cyclometer. Pretty close I would say.

"new" food

Shortly before the holidays, I decided that I was taking a new approach to food. Even though Dynamo and I exercise a lot and eat right (except for a few sweets here and there), my cholesterol was still high. My doctor simply wants to medicate me, which is an unacceptable solution in my opinion! But, I am confident that changing the foods I eat can and will reduce my cholesterol.

So, with Dynamo's support, we set out on this adventure to eat lots of plants. Lots of plants, fewer animals, and limited-to-no dairy. I do feel better and am very happy with the way things are going.



Part of a new eating plan is to find and try new recipes. The book, Cook Without a Book by Pam Anderson is fantastic. It is mainly a vegetarian cookbook that gives you a basic recipe with suggestions based on the seasons and tastebuds how to alter the recipe. It is easy to use and so far the recipes have been good!

Dynamo suggested that each week we try one new recipe. He's such a good sport! So, the recipe this week was minestrone soup.



It was yummy! Lots of veggies and quinoa pasta!

So, in this quest for lower cholesterol I've learned a few things, watched a few movies, and opened my eyes up to new foods. It's been a fun experience so far!

I've learned so much from movies, listening to others, and just reading. I'm not going to give up everything I love, but I can honestly say that I don't crave things like I used to. I feel better overall! I am taking responsibility for my own health and believe that everyone should. Medications aren't the answer. Eating the right foods is. Sometimes it's just little changes that will make a difference.

colorful crochet

Did I tell you that I love making colorful things? Working with these colors made me smile every time I picked up the afghan to work on it.

I apologize for the coloring in the pic below. It was a little dark when I took the pic.


Our niece, Madison, has a birthday coming up. I hadn't crocheted her anything yet, so I sat down and tried to figure out a pattern from another afghan a lady at church had made me. I think I figured it out for the most part. It's kinda my own personalized design. I used any colors I had on hand. I wanted it bright and bold! And...I added the crocheted flower on one corner to make it really girly!

I'm so honored that Madison enjoys anything handmade by Aunt Rachel! She is always so excited and appreciative. I wanted to make her a special kid-sized afghan in her colors! So many kids don't appreciate this kind of stuff. They think it's old-lady-ish I guess!

I hope she likes it! We'll find out in February at her party!