Something you should know about me is that I am very neurotic and that my neurosis most often manifests itself in “To Do” lists. A visit to my house can turn up any number of lists from different days all in different stages of progress. Most visitors find these lists disturbing, especially the ones that include a break down of the day into half hour blocks during which I am supposed to accomplish an unimaginable number of tasks. Yes my lists are unrealistic and yes, I seldom accomplish everything on them. In addition to the written lists, I also have a mental list. The mental list is supposed to keep track of all of the things I didn’t accomplish on the most recent written list so that I include them in the next written list. Because I am not perfect (something I am still coming to terms with), some items are forgotten. One of these items was "Make borscht”. I really like borscht and hence would really love to make it. This item has been on my mental list since October when I found a recipe for borscht in the People’s Potato cookbook. Today, 3 months later, I am making my first batch of borscht.
In addition to the mental “to do” lists, I often am deluded enough to believe that I can keep a mental tally of what’s in my pantry. Thus when I went out to buy the ingredients for the borscht I was convinced that I had both mustard seeds and red wine vinegar. At one time I did have mustard seeds but after scrutinizing the interior of my spice cupboard, I realized that they must have been purged during the moth infestation of the summer of 2004 (luckily the moths did not affect the stash). While searching through the cupboard, I discovered a spice labeled “sex vitamin”. Sex vitamin? Oh yes, sex vitamin. A few years ago, Costin went to Tunisia and brought me back a number of wonderful presents, among which were some African spices. We always had a good chuckle about the sex vitamin but have yet to try it out. Would sex vitamin be a good substitute for mustard seeds? There really is only one way to find out...
Right under the item “make borscht” on today's “to-do” list is go running. I thought that this would be a great thing to do while the soup simmered for half an hour, but common sense got the better of me and I thought it may be best if I was in the house while the stove is on. Instead, I decided to conduct an experiment in felting.
I made Minchie, my kitty, a kitty bed like those featured on Wendy's site. I finished the bed a while back but the rate limiting step in actually felting the kitty bed has been acquiring a zippered pillow case. After hearing about the horrors The Harlot endured when she had to replace Mr. Washie’s filter after felting, I thought I should take extra-special care when felting my kitty bed seeing as I rent my apartment and do not own the Mr. Washie (Mr. Washie Jr?) at my disposal. Unfortunately, every expedition to acquire a zippered pillowcase has been unsuccessful, so I was forced to improvise. After shoving the kitty bed in a sweater bag, I put it in a pillowcase and tied a knot in the end. Would the knot come undone during the felting process? There really is only one way to find out…
I will report on the results of the felting experiment in my next entry complete with photos. For now I will leave you with a picture of the unfelted bed and one of my cat curled up on my bed her current bed.
(doesn't she look unimpressed that I inadvertently woke her up?)
For those of you who may have thought that “Go for a Run” was one of the things unaccomplished on the “to do” list tonight, you will be disappointed. Costin and I went for a run when he got home from work. Usually, I am never this productive: making soup from scratch, felting a kitty bed, going for a run. It must have been the sex vitamin!
