Gluten Free PT

Here goes. I’m releasing my baby to the world. Anyone who knows me will attest that I am a diehard knitter. I have knit enough scarves and hats to stuff the coat closest of everyone who has ever celebrated Christmas with us, and I have donated enough to Harrisburg’s largest mission to keep them warm for a winter.

When I went gf in January, I got the itch for a new hobby. I knit with wire and the swatches were amazing. I went to the craft store to look at what kind of tools and accessories it would take to turn those little pieces into jewelry. Well…I got hooked. I’ve been playing with jewelry making in my (non-existent but necessary) spare time. The few pieces I’ve done have turned out great (now that I know how to use a crimp tool!!!)

Here’s the necklace and bracelet I made over the past few days:

Ok, that’s the only picture we get tonight….I’m Really frustrated….Does anyone have any advice at all about uploading pictures….Everyone has these awesome pictures of food. My pictures are all fuzzy and flashy. I’m using close up, and I researched online and found the milk bottle/white background trick, but the pictures still upload in gargantuan size and all fuzzy. It’s really hard to resize them. I had 5 pictures loaded and the whole thing froze.

I really want to take pictures of our food and my jewelry and post it. Help.

Dear Brother….please share your art school wisdom! I have until the Saturday before Easter because I promised several pieces for the Vent Camp Fundraiser and I want to get good photos before I lose them!

Thanks in advance.

Jen

Here’s a few more fuzzies of my jewels…
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PS:  It was really hard to pick a name for my card…they want a card to display with the jewelry at the fundraiser.  You wouldn’t think that naming something after yourself would be a problem, unless there are 0.5 million people with the same name as you!  Why Jennifer…….except that I was the born in the year 1970, the inspiration for the book “Beyond Jennifer and Jason”.  I have one sister in law who has the identical married name and I have another sister in law who has my maiden name.  Those who are plain wish to be exotic, and those who are exotic wish to be plain.

Last week I made quiche.  I used the Gluten Free Pantry quick mix and tried to follow their recipe on the back of the box.  The recipe has major typos  in it and I had to modify, but the quiche was fantastic.  My husband even liked it, gf and all.

<>It was delicious.  All from leftovers in the fridge.  My kind of meal.

It’s been a really long week or two.  I’m finally sleeping a little better.  But all I want to do is sleep.  Period.  I keep hoping that my energy will perk up.  I will say that after 6 weeks completely gluten-free, I have the GI issues down to a few times a week, instead of a half-dozen times a day.  That is a blessing.  I don’t know how much of my sleepiness to attribute to thyroid medication and how much is the gluten.  I’m still clumsy and have trouble with my coordination, balance, and endurance.  I want to feel better so badly that some days I want to cry, and on others I keep going even when my body says stop (and I end up doing really silly stuff like falling, dropping things, having near misses, you know, the stuff that bad dreams are made of).

<>We did try a different sushi restaurant.  We drove across town to the best one in the area, and I spoke to the owner before we ate.  She actually knew what gluten was and had wheat-free tamari available (I had brought my own this time).  She made my food all gf and when we chose a roll that had a soy sauce base inside, she came out to make a recommendation for a different but similar roll.  That meal rocked the house!   If her food didn’t cost an arm and a leg, we’d eat there every week.  My 8 year old actually ate shrimp, bean sprouts, a piece of rainbow roll, and mochi and said it was good.  (Ok actually 3 mochi – but they’re irresistable.  And covered with rice and tapioca!  Red bean and mango are my favorite.)
Thanks to all of my “gluten-free watchdogs”  who are looking out for me.  Your support is getting me from one day to the next.   

Thanks too to my brother and sister in law for planning an Easter dinner that everyone can eat.  Gluten-free (me), nut-free (my youngest).  Everyone eats.  You guys rock.  (And they’re cooking!)

Everyone think good thoughts for me.  I’ve got some professional issues going on right now and I need GOOD THOUGHTS by the bucketful for about the next month (or until this situation works itself out).  BIG stakes.  That’s about all I can say right now.