Where Have I Been?

It's been a little while since my last post, and I have an excellent excuse for it. We ran away - from the heat, that is. We went up to the department (like a province or state) of Lozère for a little time away. It was wonderful if for no other reason than the fact that it's significantly cooler there. The days can get hot, but if you stay in the shade, the air is light and breezy. And, the nights are blissfully cool. It actually gets down in the 40's and 50's (F). Wonderful for a great night's sleep. And, the cabin we were staying in is nicely insulated, so even naps are a pleasure (and you don't wake up drowning in your own persperation - Oh, I mean, your own "glisten". We're females, after all. We don't sweat, right?).



The kids are having a great time there, hanging out with cousins, romping around in open fields and splashing in the river. Yep, that's present tense. The hubster and I came home on Thursday, because I had an appointment with the OB/GYN (all's well with the baby). We left the kids there, and I'll be heading back by train tomorrow to finish out the next week with them. It's certainly been a welcome break from the heat here down south, and I can't wait to head back up. Besides, I miss my little ones and really couldn't stand to let them stay there without me too much longer. They might do something cute, and I wouldn't be there to see it. Now do you understand why I choose to be a stay-at-home mom? There's no way I could work outside the home. I enjoy the presence of my children way more than some random boss in an office.



There's even a little museum in the main town in the area that interests me. My mother-in-law and I tried to visit, but we got there just after the last tour of the morning. I'm hoping we can sneak in a little trip there before heading back home next weekend. Can anyone tell what the museum is? If you can read French, you can surely tell why I'd like to visit it. Cute old building, too. Alright, I won't make you guess too hard. It's a place where they have traditionally made yarn from local wool. Actually, they still do, but probably just for the tourists' sake. I saw some of their yarn in the gift shop. It's all natural colors (3 different colors). It's not bad looking, but since it's made from what the French call "laine de pays" (roughly translating to "country wool"), which is made from whatever local breed of sheep they have around (often they're main purpose is meat). They don't exactly rival merino for softness. I think you could make a great rug from it, though - especially with those beautiful natural tones. I don't know that I'll get any of it, though. It was pretty reasonably priced, and I wouldn't mind a nice rug, but you'd probably need a hefty pile of it to make any decent-sized rug.

And, in crafty news, I actually got a little sewing time in just before heading off on our trip. I had been dying from the heat here, and I had some cotton gauze fabric calling out to me, begging to be made into a skirt and blouse. I couldn't stand to listen to it whimper at me like that, so I pulled it out and designed a simple skirt and a shirt that should work for me for the last month of pregnancy, as well as afterwards. At least for now, it fits nicely and is so lightweight and airy, I feel great in it. I also had some time while in Lozère to get a bit of knitting done. My chosen project for the moment is a simple mohair scarf for my midwife. This is the second birth she'll be helping me with, and with the paltry sums they get paid for such an amazing job, I thought I'd give her a little something extra. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of either of these projects. I will, though. I promise.



And, just so nobody says I didn't take any shots of Lambchop #1, I'll throw this one in. I did have a little more trouble getting her to stand still long enough for a good picture, though, so it's not a great one. Grandma will be happy, though. In this shot, she's opening the Barbie clothes Grandma and Grandpa gave her for her birthday. Notice the look of sheer concentration. Such a cutie (if you ignore the evil-looking red eye)! I sure miss her and her brother and can't wait to see them tomorrow. I was actually a bit disappointed I wasn't able to catch today's train out to see them. I find myself thinking of their cute faces and the silly things they do quite frequently when we're apart.

Oh, and speaking of Lambchops... you can probably all guess by now that the next kid will just be named Lambchop #3 for this blog's purposes. But, for real life, I don't think that will stick well. As always, we're having a hard time selecting just the right names for our offspring. Girls' names are slightly easier, and we may have that one covered, but for boys it's always really hard. First, it has to be pronouncible in both French and English (not just any old English - Southern-accented English, and not every name can sound good down South). So, anybody got any good ideas to offer up?

Our problem is that, to me, many male French names sound weak. I guess it's the fact that French sounds so musical, and I can't exactly picture always singing my child's name. We also kind of like semi-original names that not every kid at school is going to have, though. That makes the choice hard. The other day, we had some great fun throwing out names that we could never give our child. See our problem? This is the only kind of thing we can come up with. My husband's last name is German, since his family originally came from the northeastern part of France that bumps up against the German border. It kind of rhymes a little bit with Hitler, so we thought we could always name the kid Adolf - you know I'm thinking that not many kids have been given that name in the last 60 years or so. Then, there was an actual nazi guy who apparently ran one of the concentration camps whose last name was the same as my husband's. His name was Walter, so maybe we should steer clear of that one, too. Seriously, we need help (perhaps not just for choosing the right name, but help of the psychiatric kind, as well). Really, don't worry, though, we have no intentions of naming any of our kids after nazis. It was just something that struck us as funny the other day (blame that on my slight anemia and the apparent effect it has on my husband).

Too Much Busy

Yeah, I'm fully aware that post title doesn't sound very English, but it does describe (very well, actually) my life these days. I've had so little time for anything crafty, and I am in a big mood for craftiness. What I'd really like to do is sew a little, but I can't find the time or energy for it. Between sonogram visits and those end-of-pregnancy doctor visits, I've got little time for fun. All is fine, as we have verified with the mid-wife and the sonogram guy (who, by the way, is the only human being who knows what our baby's sex is - and I didn't even beg him to tell me!). Being tired comes from the fact that I have a slight iron deficiency these days. I stocked up on all sorts of vitamins for that and other end-of-pregnancy needs, so hopefully, the energy will return soon.

I actually do have some knitting-related things to show you but I have no pictures of them to make it more interesting. One of these things is the yarn I bought while in Germany. I'm sure I'll get around to snapping a little shot of it soon enough. Another is a mohair scarf I started. Yeah, I know. What on earth am I thinking? Haven't I been complaining about the hell-fire sort of heat around here? Well, I really want to get it done before the birth, because it's for my midwife. I haven't worked on it much, and I'm about half-way finished, so it's doable. Then, there's the little sweater I've started designing for the new baby. I've got a really fun idea, but I don't have anything but sketches and calculations to show for it yet. We'll see if it comes to fruition any time before the baby is born.

In non-knitting crafty news, I received some fun books the other day. I ordered them online a while back. One is to learn to sew lingerie and the other is to learn to make your own sewing patterns. Being cheap is what prompted me to buy the pattern-making book. It's a small investment when you consider that you pay a pretty penny for a pattern, and buying them over a number of years certainly adds up (plus, I find it fun to design things). The lingerie sewing book is an actual necessity for me (or soon will be). I have this little problem that I don't speak of much here on the blog. Kind of personal, but I guess if someone else could be helped by my experiments in this realm, I should mention it. I'm what you might call well-endowed. That's not so new, though, because many women are.

My real problem is that I've not got a very large frame to support this well-endowedness. It has yet to cause back trouble (knock on wood, I guess, huh?), but it does make looking for something to hold it all a little difficult. Add to this the fact that apparently the French aren't... umm... well... built like us Anglos must be, and I have to literally search the world over for my undergarments. So far, the internet has been my friend, but each pregnancy and baby to nurse adds a bit more to my Pamela Andersonness, and this time is no exception. I realistically fear that once the milk sets in, there'll be nothing that exists in my size. So, I bought a bunch of bra-making supplies and a book about the topic to embark on the endeavor of making my own. Sounds hard, I know, but I've more than once seen the claim that it's really not. I've made a not-so-bad bathingsuit top myself before. So, why not a bra? At least no one will see the flaws in that one. Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how that goes (once the materials come in, that is). The lingerie book is really fun, though, and I'd love to find the time and energy to make some pjs or a lightweight lounging house dress (yes, I've turned into my mother or grandmother or somebody older than I am) to be able to beat this heat more easily.



Some things I have found time for, even if they haven't exactly been what I'd really like to do. I already mentioned the baking frenzy. As promised, I took a picture of it all (minus the mess it created). The cheesecake, though not at all pretty to look at (too many cracks, due to my hard-to-control-freakishly-hot-oven), was absolutely delicious with some homemade, sugar-free apricot jelly. A decent portion of the rest of the baked goods were thrown into the freezer. Handy thing, that freezer. Today, we're invited to a barbeque, and it sure it nice to just whip a bit of zucchini bread out to defrost before leaving. The manicotti didn't get a chance to be frozen. It was delicious, though. Notice the teddybear cake, too. He got eaten up at a family dinner, one limb at a time.




I haven't found much energy in this heat to actually work in the garden, either. The best I can do is go steal from the insects what I thought was rightfully mine after all the work I put in. They seem to want to present a different case for their rights as life-sucking varment (I may be biased). I have, however, gotten a few little yummies here and there. We've had something close to a summer squash per day, which doesn't sound like much compared to how many those plants tend to produce, but many of them have been turning yellow and shriveling up before they get very big (lack of water?? bugs getting at them???). We did get our first melon, though. Pretty tasty looking, ain't it? Turned out to be a huge disappointment, though. It apparently soaked up too much water one night when I accidentally left the drip system running (oops - what a good gardener I am). Oh well. There will be others.



And, the one other important task I found time for was the baking of a very special cake. Next Monday, Lambchop #1 turns 5. Hard to believe it's been that long, but it's true. Five whole years. And, she requested a strawberry cake just after strawberry season (she does this all the time). So, I opted for a white cake with strawberry jellly between the two layers and divinity-style icing (a real weakness of mine) on top. It turned out well, but a little goes a long way. A whole piece was just way to much sugar for my tastes. You can see in the top photo that Lambchop #1 was very happy about her cake and her birthday (made out like a bandit, as usual).

P.S. Sorry, no time to edit or spell-check. Must get ready for party. In a rush, as always.

A Picture of Efficiency

If you looked up efficiency in the dictionary, you wouldn't normally find a picture of me, nor would you even see my name mentioned. This morning, though, you just might. As planned, I went into a baking frenzy early this morning (around 8 - come on, that's early for me) and just finished putting the last pan in the oven now at noon.

So, what have I made? Actually, the question might be more appropriate as "what have I NOT made?". I started out by using up four over-ripe bananas, which made two loaves of banana bread. Enlisting the help of my strong (and handsome, of course) husband to grate the over-sized zucchini from my sister-in-law (because grating stuff is really hard when you've got my belly), I then made two loaves of zucchini bread. But, wait, that's not all! That was a monstrously huge zucchini, and I had enough left to make not one but two chocolate zucchini cakes. Whew! That's a lot of baking.

But, wait! It's not over yet. Remember I mentioned having bought cream cheese in Germany? You don't think I'd have left that long-awaited cheesecake out of my baking frenzy, do you? No sirree, Bob. So, I threw that in the oven, as well (yummy looking chocolate cookie crust, since we can't get graham crackers here). And, last but not least, since we actually have to eat today, I made some manicotti with fresh homemade pasta and some frozen tomato sauce I had made a few weeks ago.

The only thing missing from all this is the corn bread and the strata I was planning to make as well. I just didn't have enough eggs, but it's not a real problem, since I'm getting pretty hot and tired and it'll soon be lunch time anyway.

By the way, for those interested in what a baking frenzy looks like, I'll try to take pictures (I can tell you now, though, that it involves lots of flour dust and plenty of dirty dishes - most of which I have actually cleaned during the baking process - efficient, I tell you).

You Know It's Hot When...

... you check the weather before planning your next day's meals. I actually just did that. It may not be as hot here as it is in other places, but when those other places have air-conditioned homes and offices as a general rule, in practical terms, it's basically hotter here. It's been very hot since we got back from Germany, and I have had very little energy for anything these past few days (it doesn't help that we've gone out late several nights since being back). I was happy to get to bed early last night, and I've actually got some amount of pep today. So, I'm planning meals.

You remember the plan I formed a while back? You know, the one where I would bake like a mad fiend for the month before the baby's birth so that we wouldn't starve during the week after the birth while my husband was harvesting and I was on forced relaxation? Well, that time has pretty much come here, and I have to start thinking toward the futuure, right? I was thinking that if I were able to bake a few meals here and there this month, they could be eaten next month while I cooked meals for the following month. This way, I wouldn't be making a meal to be eaten immediately as well as a meal to be eaten later. I could just concentrate on the meals for later. Tomorrow morning, I'm thinking of starting to put that plan in action. I've got several very ripe bananas and some enormous zucchinis that my sister-in-law gave me from her garden. They will be perfect for zucchini cake or bread and banana bread. I also have a little secret that I got while in Germany....

We actually bought cream cheese and cheddar cheese to tote all the way back to France with us. Sure, I paid 8 and a half bucks for the cooler (which can always come in handy when my husband does wine tastings away from home) and more than 3 for a small pack of ice while on the road, but I am certain the homemade cheesecake will be well worth it (not to mention all the casseroles and things of that sort that I can make with the close to four lbs of cheddar. I'm thinking tacos could be very tasty! And, the maccaroni and cheese we all enjoy from time to time... The sky's the limit (okay, well the four lbs are the limit, actually, but that'll go pretty far, right?)

So, I've checked the weather, and I'm ready to bake. All I have to do is prepare half the mix tonight, and we should be set for some fast and easy baking tomorrow morning.

The Ideal Food

I sincerely believe I have found the ideal food. I bought it at the organic factory outlet store that we pass by between home and Lyon (north of us). It's totally fat free. It's organic. It's kosher (if that's a concern for you). And, it's even vegan, in case you're looking for that. Then, there's the fact that it's delicious.

What is this mysterious food? maple syrup, of course! I mean, sure, it's mostly sugar, and may not be ideally suited for diabetics, but when you add all those other qualities up, doesn't it just sound like the perfect food?

While we're on the subject of maple syrup, I should mention a little something I've learned from an article I read. Most of the time, when you find it, it's Grade A. Now, we think of beef or other products and assume Grade A is the best. Not so if you're looking for flavor in maple syrup. Originally, the Grade A syrup was used to make sugar, so the lighter the color, the better. Therefor, it was also more expensive than grades B and C. This is still the case (the money part), but if you're looking for flavor to go with your pancakes (and not just liquid sugar taste) go for the "lower" grades. This means, the darker the syrup looks in the bottle, the better the flavor will be. Usually, you can find Grade B pretty easily in the US, as far as I've read, and Grade C is often used industrially, because you don't need much to give a pretty strong maple flavor. I'm lucky enough that I can get this organic syrup in Grade C, and boy is it tasty!

Just a little info I thought I might share to improve your next pancake breakfast.

Quick Trip

Seems like I remember a convenience store of my childhood being named Quick Trip. In Oklahoma, I think, but then I've lived in so many places it's hard to say where it was. So, we just made a quick trip ourselves, but I don't think it could be considered convenient. It started out really inconveniently, actually. With all the preparations for leaving the kids behind, as well as those for our trip, we didn't get out of the house till way after I had wanted. Luckily, though, I had planned some leeway (how do you spell that???) so we wouldn't miss our flight - or had I? Turns out, I seemed to have misread (or misremembered) the boarding-before-departure time. I remembered 30 minutes, while it was reallly 40. So, we missed that boat - well, plane, actually.

After a few tears (I'll let you guess whether they came from me, the hormone-laden pregnant lady, or my manly-man husband) and a review of our options, we pretty much decided it wasn't worth it to pay more than our original ticket price for the option of waiting till the next day or driving several hours across the border into Spain for the closest next flight that same day. So, we headed off on a road trip. It's about an 8-9 hour drive from where we live to where the car was, so we started off right then. No point in going home and staying the night here to start out the next morning. Besides, I had already packed dinner for us, so we were pretty much set. We drove till almost midnight the first night, which left us about 2 1/2 hours from the new car in a town called Besançon. Found ourselves a nice, clean bed to sleep in and slept soundly for about 6 hours. Then, off we went to meet our new car.

We arrived at the dealership between 10 and 10:30. By 12:30 the car was ours, and we were sitting in a little restaurant, waiting to order lunch. It couldn't have worked out better. Even missing our flight turned out to be quite a happy coincidence, because as I read on a website the night before leaving, the administrative offices in the city where we bought our car close at noon. Had we caught our flight and followed our original plan, we would have arrived in town to get the car much later in the day and had to wait till the next to do the paperwork (see how handy it is to always be so disorganized? - buy hey, that's the first time I've ever missed a flight).

We were very concerned it would be complicated and possibly take a couple days to accomplish what was done in a few hours time. But with the wonderful help of the salesman, who spoke fluent French and accompanied us to the government offices, by 3 pm, we had signed every paper needed, eaten lunch and were heading on over to the Walmart (who knew?) across the street from the dealership. I just had to go see what a German Walmart would look like, and this is actually the only photo we thought to take in all of our time in Germany. Bad blogger, indeed.



So, after reprovisioning for the drive, and making a little detour to drop the old car off close to the border, we headed on up to Frankfurt to visit a yarn shop and some wine shops (hopefully to make some good contacts for my husband). We ate at a yummy little Thai restaurant (eating out in Germany is far more reasonable than doing so in France by the way). Picked up some very nice yarn for cheap from a shop called Wolle Rödel. They stock their own little brand at very reasonable prices (you can count on pictures of that later). And, although, it was hard to find a wine shop that seemed to suit our needs, we did find one with 8 locations throughout the city that seemed to be interested in our wines. Then, we headed back across the border into France to visit the parents of my husband's brother-in-law. The father and a mechanic friend were kind enough to head over the border with their expertise and fluent German to check out the car the day before we left to see it. If we were able to confidently buy the car so quickly, it was definitely thanks to them. So, a short visit was definitely necessary. Then, we headed back to pick up the other car and make our way home (dropping off the second car partway for my brother-in-law to drive farther down south later).

All in all, it was a good trip but with way too much driving. I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone in "my condition". Unsoothable leg cramps start to set in after several hours of sitting in the car, and that's just no fun. I did notice some interesting things about Germany while we were there, though. Here's a little list of those I remember at the moment:

1. Frankfurt is an extremely modern city with very few of the ancient buildings you tend to associate with Europe. It occurred to me on the drive home that they were all bombarded during the war and everything must have been started from scratch. Sad.

2. People do drive really fast on the Autobahn. Luckily, they tend to be reasonably courteous as well and change lanes in a pretty safe manner, anyway.

3. Those people driving well over 100 (120 or more?) mph were all driving Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volvo and the occasional Porsche. I'm assuming these people have way too much confidence in the safety features of their cars.

4. Black is an extremely popular car color there. And, you don't see very many non-new vehicles on the road (they must sell them all to foreigners!).

5. Not only are restaurants cheaper there than in France, but the food quality is better (unless you're willing to pay ridiculous sums here in France) and the portions are huge. By the way, if you ever see Fleischekässe (or something like that) on the menu, just be aware that you're ordering a hotdog, only it's in patty form (the word actually means "meat cheese". A bit like Spam in appearance but tastes exactly like a hotdog. I'd have prefered the schnitzel (breaded veal), but thought I'd try something new.

6. I didn't notice a single motorcycle on the road in Germany. My husband assures me there were a few, which makes me assume that they don't drive like maniacs as they do in France, so they don't stand out so much (I'm all for that - just after crossing back into France, I was driving the Land Rover, while my husband was in the Peugeot. I was in the left lane next to the concrete wall, and a lunatic passed me at probably close to 100 mph on a motorcycle. He went between me and the wall, and with the noise and wind he created, I thought I was going to give birth right there in the car.).

7. My mother likes to joke that I'm making the rounds of Europe in husbands. Well, there are so many similarities between life and culture in Germany and the US, that I could totally live there. Does this mean I should start looking around for a new man??

We had fun hanging out together in the car, but I was definitely happy to get home to see the sweet faces of our little ones (who have given the new car their seal of approval), even if Lambchop #2 has been extremely whiney since our arrival (punishment? or is it the fact that he has been hanging out with his cousin, who throws frequent fits, a lot these past few days?).

Here are a couple of additional photos of the car and some info for those who are interested (mainly my dad and brother, most likely):



It's a 1996 Land Rover Discovery with a manual transmission, diesel engine, 5 seats (very roomy) and an additional "jump seat" in the back that should hold someone weighing up to about 35 kilos, I think (a kid, basically). It's a base model with no extras, and it has a few flaws, but all are liveable and it runs well, which is our main concern. In case you can't tell from the pictures, it's a bordeaux color with beige interior (which I promptly covered with fabric that I can through in the machine - because I know my kids). We're pretty satisfied with it. I'm actually much more excited than my husband, but then, I'm the one who's been driving the crappier cars the most the past few years (not to say that his work car he had was wonderful, but then I was raised in a family of new-car-buyers and he wasn't).

And, Away We Go!

What a busy-hectic week we've had around here. A birthday party yesterday... lots of fun for the kiddos and even mommy, but a little far of a drive. Cleaning the house as best as possible before heading off to Germany for the Great Car Hunt, which starts this afternoon. Getting all the paperwork ready for said Great Car Hunt. I think we've got everything in order. Reserving hotel and car. So many things to do before such a trip. I'm really excited though, which, unfortunately for me, means that I haven't been sleeping all that well these past couple of nights. Puts a little damper on the energy level I need for all this cleaning and preparing, but it'll soon be over.

The really good news in all this is that I had found a car a little while ago that is not far from the French border. This is really good, because my sister-in-law's boyfriend is from an area just next to the border. His father is retired and has a good friend who is what? None other than an auto mechanic specializing in 4X4s. The close proximity of the car I found made it possible for the two of them (who speak fluent German) to head on over the border and check the car out. After spending almost an hour of quality time with it and the salesman (who speaks impeccable French), they gave it an enthustiastic thumbs up. With all of these things falling into place, it's like the car was made just for us. So, fingers crossed, we'll be hopping on a plane in a few hours. We land in Frankfurt this evening and will spend the night there. Since it's the financial and shopping capital of Germany (apparently), we've decided to spend the morning visiting a few wine shops while we're there. I'm hoping to accidentally stumble into a certain yarn shop while I'm waiting for my husband to do his thing. Then, it's off to the south with a rented car to hopefully fetch our own. If we're lucky, all will go smoothly, and we can head home a couple days afterwards.

So, cross your fingers or knitting needles, please. We may need the luck.

When You're Right, You're Right

Remember back about a week ago when I told you that "chipmunk" was the new sexy? Remember we hypothesized that it would become the next in thing. One of my commenters even thought that Paris Hilton would soon be sporting that look. I'm starting to think that in areas not infested with wasps, the fashion conscious will be flocking to their nearest plastic surgeon in search of a bit of collagen to achieve the desired effect. Why do I think this? Well, I've already seen one person copying what I originally considered my own personal chipmunk style.

Now, I personally think he took things a little too far, but then high fashion is all about extremes (just look at the runways for an example of that). I didn't think it was necessary in his case, because he's by far the hottest thing around already. I mean, he already had those big, beautiful, full lips people pay big money for. But, I guess he felt he just needed a little something different this season. And, my chipmunk cheek must have given him an idea of what he was yearning after. So, this morning, bright an early, my husband set out in search of the ideal insect for the task. I think he actually found two volunteers. And, I'm not one to complain, because they were thorough and all, but it's a bit uneven. Kind of like a boxer at the end of a fight, if you ask me. I guess his new look will take some getting used to. For now, though, we'll just have to cover it up with some of that green clay.

When I saw him, it actually almost made me cry. All those pregnancy hormones really do affect my emotions. I just felt so sorry for him. Still do, actually, and if you saw him, you just might want to cry, too (of course, your crying might be out of fear of the hideous monster before you - no really, he's still cute in a Mike-Tyson-after-a-big-fight sort of way).

In better news, we spent a decent portion of yesterday afternoon at the pregnant lady store Ikea. I lost count of how many pregnant women I saw there. To the untrained eye, it would appear that they were shopping for furniture for the new baby's room. I, being pregnant myself, know better. They were all there to take avantage of the air conditioned environment. I know that's why we went. After having two days of 90-degree weather in our own kitchen (not necessarily the hottest room in the house), it was time for a break. The haul of goodies we brought home was secondary. The kids went a little crazy in the store and were reprimanded with ice cream afterwards. Anyway, we walked away from there about 400 euros poorer, but the kids now have a nice set of bunk beds (the excuse we used to go there). We really needed to get that taken care of, so we could start transitioning Lambchop #2 out of the crib he's so fond of before the baby needs it. So, that process will start today. They're excited. I'm excited. I mean, this means that we'll at least have one thing prepared for the baby before it arrives. It may not have a nice new home to sleep in. And, we may not be able to take it anywhere in the new car we still need to buy, but at least, it won't be bedless.

I don't have much in the way of knitting news. I've been nesting a lot this past week, so I haven't sat down much. In other crafting news, I bought some material at Ikea yesterday (who knew they sold material by the yard?) to make curtains for the new house. We've decided to go for quick and easy shelving in the kitchen and bath that will someday be replaced by nice cabinets. For now, I'll just make some curtains to cover up the shelving and all the contents. Twenty bucks for an entire kitchen curtain job instead of the hundreds you'd need for nice carpentry. Now it's up to Muttonchop to make some shelves, and we'll be in business.