Red Dirt Knitter

With A Little Help From My Friends

2010-03-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

that's how I get by. And this week, the comments here; in eMail and phone and PMs and snail mail have just surrounded me with comfort. I hope you don't mind that I think of y'all as a big smooshy blanket because that's what it's felt like. I've read the comments here over and over. ~~waves to Paul and Crystal! I haven't heard from y'all in forever. Hope all is well with you.

I feel better but damn it..I hate it when I just stumble into something that brings reality back. Like opening the door slowly because Zoey can't back up fast. Or cooking more than I eat so she can have a little taste. Or wandering around with my left over cereal milk looking for Mary...she loved that sweetened milk.

I sniffed and snuffled and sobbed and sniffed and snuffled some more and then decided that was enough. So, when in doubt...do laundry. Stripped all the bedding including mattress pads etc. Washed all fo them. Washed winter covers. Washed spring covers (the didn't need it since they'd been in bags but hey...it's more laundry) And then decided that next I needed to steam clean the carpets. So right now, I can actually get to two chairs although it involves some contortions as most all of the furniture is piled in one room and all the lamps, baskets of knitting etc is piled in another while my bedroom and living room floors dry. Thankfully it's a breezy warm day so hopefully by nightfall they'll be dry. And maybe tomorrow, I can umm wash curtains??

but again, thank you so much. I've never ever in my whole entire life been the recipient of this much caring.

Good Riddance February

2010-03-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

It's been a cruel month.

On the 15th, Mary, my 21 1/2 year old matriarch kitty headed off to the Rainbow Bridge cradled in my arms. I believe she had a stroke several months ago, but had recovered enough to continue to boss everyone in the house. However, on Saturday the 12th she had what was apparently another one and her downhill slide picked up steam.

And last night, Zoey the wonder dog (age guestimate is 12 she was a rescue), also took the journey as I sang (for the eleventy seventh time), Oh Canada to her. I sing to my babies a lot..mostly nonsense songs...but yesterday Oh Canada was the only one I could sing without sobbing. She was on new meds for an infection and her arthritis and as of Thursday and Friday doing sooooooooo much better. We'd planned on a Saturday afternoon outside enjoying the high 50s temps. But before we could do it she had a massive seizure which indicated a stroke. Certainly her newly regained agility went to hell and she was absolutely frantic. Fortunately she calmed down, ate a good supper, stayed up past her normal bedtime wagging her tail. Awakened me at 0300, restless and the day went downhill from there. We spent most of the day on the floor. Her on a pallet of blankets and me on the loveseat cushion and various pillows.

This picture makes me cry..not because they look sweet but because it was so funny at the time. As Zoey's arthritis took hold, she had a whole lot of trouble with her back hips and her legs would go out from under her on slick floors. I'm not sure if Mary thought she was helping, but she almost seemed to stalk her. And as soon as Zoey went down, Mary would go snuggle up to her. Zoey was NOT thrilled. And would bark and whine as if to say, "She's touching me mom!! Help" And this one time the camera was on and I got a quick flash-lit snap of them. (I took it to Picnik and got Zoey's eyes back to the dark brown they were but for some reason, in there Mary was so dark to be unrecognizable)

"If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I would walk right up to heaven
And bring you back again"

I miss you guys so much. Thank the universe that you found your way into my life. xoxoxoxo

Finally...blooms!

2010-02-13T11:29:00.001-08:00

My camera is home from the 'hospital'. Diagnosis: One dead battery. It uses two. Just weird. It gives me a message when the batteries are about to go out as well as a slide deal that's always visible that shows how much power they have. Such a strange message. But I won't fuss...they didn't even charge me. Well, except for the batteries I bought.

And just in time for the amaryllis bloomed. My friend Mac and I each got one at the same time. I made sure that mine hadn't started leaves as I wanted to enjoy the whole show. Then for a bit, I wondered if it was ever going to show growth. But patience paid off and now I have...

Good thing I had new batteries. It's been so cloudy here that there was no way I could get a good shot in decent light. And with the flash, it showed up as a very RED flower. Which it's not. This is fairly true. A light pinky salmon-y color and ever so pretty. Too bad they don't just keep blooming forever.

Sunny today so I'm going out to clear off the patio of leaves and other debris from the storms. Cause tomorrow, it's supposed to get all cold and cloudy again.

Hope some sunshine comes your way wherever you are.

Oh...a question for any flower people. At Walmart they had some orchids in little pots and they were called 3 Cube Orchids. On the tag it said to water them using 3 ice cubes every week. Anyone ever heard of this????

Black and White

2010-02-08T14:39:00.000-08:00

I awakened to new snow this morning. Not heavy, scary stuff like my mid-Atlantic friends have been dealing with. No, this was big, fat, fluffy flakes. I was really taken by the starkness of the day.

This one is my favorite. I love how the crispness of the black and white is broken by the red street sign at the bottom.

Whoa! 2 Days in a Row???

2010-02-01T08:47:00.000-08:00

Apparently being here yesterday, inspired me to entertain (?) you with more stories about life here on the snowy prairie. So right after I got up I started thinking of things I could share with you.

But then..a crisis. Got some coffee; blew my nose; threw the kleenex in the stool; flushed it and uhhhhhhhhhhhh nada. Plunging action just got my houseshoes wet..thank goodness all that was in there was a kleenex! Think, think. Drink more coffee and think some more. This is a real deal because there is only one bathroom here. But then, 2 ah-has! in a row! First, bring up the tornado potty. Which is a 5 gallon bucket with a plastic liner and partially filled with shredded paper. Because if the storm is so bad that I have to go to the basement, I can dang well promise that I'm going to have to pee as soon as I get under the stairs. And then the 2nd aha! Occasionally I put root killer down the commode and there is still something left. I figure if it can kill roots, it can surely eat up a kleenex and whatever. AND it worked! Oh hooray. However, the tornado potty will stay in the utility room closet until I'm for sure.

So then, filled with confidence, I decided that I really, really need to get my vehicle de-iced. The bread supply is zip (and sloppy joe on a stale English muffin is pretty yucky) and the milk is getting low. So, I worked on that for awhile without a whole lot of success and came in to get warm. Dang it...I need to go to the store!

While warming up, I decided to take a pic of the amarylis I got for Christmas. It's getting ready to bloom!! The bud is just opening and my thought was that I could do a series of flower opening shots. the stalk is now 22 inches tall and I've been rotating it a 1/4 turn every day to keep it as str8 as possible. But um, when I turned on the camera I got a message that said "This card cannot be used" Uh what? Why? Yesterday I had some trouble getting the card reader to read it so maybe the contacts are screwed. But..just think, if I'd got the car uncovered and went to the store and THEN found out I needed a new card I would have been very unhappy!

So, I'll keep working on the car in the hopes that I can travel to the big box store and pick up milk, bread and a camera card! Wish me luck

The New Path is Snowy and Icy

2010-01-31T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hello...did you thik I'd wandered off never to reappear? Nope. Did you wonder if I had gotten bored with retirement? Nope.

I've survived the Christmas Blizzard of 2009..truly it was one. And I'm sure there are photos of it somewhere on this computer but I don't think any were spectacular.

Another storm arrived on Thursday. Freezing rain and sleet for much of that day and evening with snow following on Friday. I am grateful beyond belief that we didn't lose power but it's gonna be a long time before I'm able to move my car. I cleared the steps yesterday and it took most of the afternoon. An inch of ice on the top of the vehicle and then that was topped with 6 inches of snow! Although it was cold yesterday, there was sun and 'they' said it would be sunny today in the 40s. Well they forecasted the storm almost perfectly but they missed on this one. It's gray and cold. And last night we had something called 'freezing fog'. Maybe it's still here.

Since I was going to have to put on boots and Yaktrax to go get the paper, I decided to stomp around the neighborhood. It's sooo weird to hear ice cracking somewhere under your feet.

I'm not sure if the following photos are a result of freezing fog, if it's hoarfrost or what. And the icicyles are sooo pretty. But in the cold outside with no people, no vehicles, no sound..it's quite magical.

A New Path

2009-12-01T08:24:00.000-08:00

It's December 1st, and I'm officially retired! My last day was supposed to be last Friday, but they closed the office so my actual last work day was Wednesday. It's still all a bit odd in my mind. I've had to make a little index card reminder system so I actually know what day of the week it is. There's been a lot of sorting and tossing going on. I find it hard to just sit and play until the work is done, even if I'm not sure what the work is supposed to be. And nope, I haven't hit the basement yet. But some will have to be done soon so I can get to the Christmas decorations.

I was blessed with the corporate party and it was great fun. I only have a couple of pics..I never seem to remember to take them but there are more in a throwaway camera that I've yet to drop off for developing. The banner almost made me cry. One of my most beloved young patients nicknamed me Rambo and it traveled throughout my community. I still here "Hey Rambo!" from time to time when I'm out and about. I still miss ya Jarred!

I received some a lot of super cards and lovely gifts. I'm well stocked for the time being on soaky bath stuff (and the time to really soak!) and books and candles and gift cards to Bath and Body Works and Hastings and Barnes and Noble. Oh and two soft throws and softie socks! These folks really know me! One of my coworkers presented me with a little album of candid shots of all my coworkers which I treasure.

So now it's a new path. I don't know where it's gonna take me. My mental backpack is filled with enthusiasm and curiosity and I'll have to send you postcards along the way! It's gonna be a real trip!

ETA: My friend Jackie just called from the office. In a sing-song voice she said "It's end of the month and you aren't here!" Now that's one thing I won't miss! :-)

Da Basement

2009-11-25T04:59:00.001-08:00

Ummm after much thought, I've decided that this post needs to be saved for a later date..one in which I can have before and after shots. ~~waves to Jackie and Mary-Catherine and Mac and all the others who didn't believe me when I said it was bad.

Ramble Rambles

2009-11-21T17:16:00.000-08:00

So, after a short time here on the prairie, Ramble and I...along with our friends Suzy, Sierra, Mary and Erin headed east. We'd been invited to Juniper Moon Fiber Farm to celebrate the new home of our fav sheep and goats..and to participate in a photo shoot.

It was way early when we set out. Ramble was excited that rather than traveling in a mail bag, he'd actually get to sit in a seat. And very excited to meet his new best friend Sierra. She promised to take good care of him and to make sure he saw all the sights.
He behaved very well on the plane, stayed in his seatbelt, but was really glad to get off in Dallas to meet Mary and Erin. Before long, it was back up in the air on our way to DC.

We had a bit of time to explore DC and Ramble was right there as we gazed at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Wall and the cool neighborhood we got lost in. Then it was off to pick up Lori at the airport (she came from CA)and head out to VA.

Part of that trip was a bit scary but he slept through it..or else he was hiding his eyes. :-) But finally we got to our hotel AND an IHOP...whew were we ever hungry.

The next day found us at the farm where he got to meet Susie and Erin and Paige. We helped around as much as we could, visited with the animals and just generally enjoyed being there.

On Saturday, the excitement reached a new high. The shearer was there! The photographer, the stylist and the writer were there. And loads of "aunties". So many people wanted to meet him, he was just all a twitter. He was really rather afraid of the shearer. He actually liked his wooly coat. But after she said he wasn't in the deal he relaxed and even got to sit on her lap.

He just had a lovely time but was sooo tired that he slept all the way home. And after an extended rest, he's now on his way once again. Stay tuned.

A Visitor on the Prairie

2009-11-04T05:55:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I came home from errands to find this on the porch.

Uh oh, have I ordered something and forgotten about it?? Nope. Inside this box was a slightly travel-weary sheep named Ramble. A friend on Rav is moving to a new place and while packing up stuff this guy was mentioned. It was decided that while she was making way for a new space, he would have his own adventure somewhat like Flat Stanley.

Groceries put away, we headed off to our first adventure. To the LYS of course! I had already planned to run over and get some Cascade 220 for the Red Scarf Project and well...he wanted to go.

He immediately struck up a convo with this guy telling all about his adventures so far. And, I understand that the other sheep regaled him with stories about all the unique personalities he's met at the store. Then it was home and time to watch a bit of football because there would be more adventures tomorrow.

Sunday was a sunny, warm, gorgeous Indian Summer sort of day. And we were off to help my friend Suzy with a bit of sheep deworming. Ramble was a bit hesitant. This was far away from his normal life. But with a quick shake of his fleece he 'sheeped up'. And off we went. Initially he was slightly intimidated by these larger members of his 'family'; but after Tank had a serious moment with him he sat placidly on the crate and watched all the fun. Let's just say that the score was Suzy 1, Sheep 2. He was really happy though to make the acquaintance of Tank, Lucy, Bob and a few roosters.

Monday, it's back to work. Amidst the chaos of end-of-month and teaching my replacement about my job (12 more actual work days since tomorrow starts vacation), he managed to have some up close and personal time with my friend Jackie.

You'll note there is someone standing on his back. She's a tiny little needlefelted goat named Linda. Jackie's a huge LambCam fan and Linda is her favorite so I got her the little goat to tide her over while the LambCam is quiet. And then he waited patiently staring at my desktop while I took care of the end of day business.

Early tomorrow morning we leave on our adventure to Juniper Moon Farm...airplanes and every thing. So while I run around like a chicken looking for Cheerios, he'll have a beauty sleep. And now back to my never ending lists!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2009-10-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

Lest you think all is quiet and boring here at my home on the prairie, I'll tell you about the latest adventure.

Preface by saying that last night my phone rang. My friend down the street asked 'What's going on?' I replied some inane comment about watching football or polishing my toenails. It seems she had noticed a lot of headlights in my block. I'd closed the curtains and had totally missed seeing this. I looked out the window to see two cop cars and two young men, one who was sitting on the front bumper of one of the police cars and the other being interviewed. I sorta hoped I'd hear one of the officers yell "Get Down! Get Down Now!" like on tv but it was way low key. I did get to see the drug dog search the car but apparently it didn't find anything as eventually one young man drove off and I 'think' the other one was taken in for whatever.

Ok, so fast forward to this morning. I woke up a little before 6, let Zoey out and fed the cats. Zo was NOT excited about going out as it was raining lightly and she doesn't like being wet. Coffee ready and me off to read email etc. Cats finished eating and still Zo wasn't barking to get back in. I go out the back door and realize thSat both gates to my back yard are standing wide open! Now yesterday afternoon, I was out there sweeping the patio and taking out the trash and they were both closed with latches in place. Hmmmm...now WHO opened the gates? And WHO didn't close them again? Any connection with the goings on in the street? Dunno.

So, I throw my slicker on over my pjs and wander around a bit but no Zoey.
I drive around in the car. No Zoey. Oh shit! So I eat some cereal, take my bath and get dressed so that at first light I can get back out there. As I put on my shoes and socks I said a little prayer to my previous dog..my soul dog, Cassie who died before Zoey came into my life. I asked that if Zo was dead, would she look after her. And, if she was alive, could she help me find her. I walked out the front door and heard Zoey bark. I looked up and down the street but ...nada. So I started the car and with all the windows down in the rain, I listened carefully.

There it was again! And closer. But no dog to be seen. I parked up the street and started yelling. (Zo doesn't hear all that well or else she is quite selective) Zoey! bark bark. Zoey! bark bark. Closer, but where the hell is she?

She kept sounding closer and then.... I saw an eye... in the weeds and grass of the drainage creek that runs through the neighborhood. Wayyyyy down in the creek. I stepped off the pavement to see if I could coax her out and WHAM...stepped on the very wet weeds and down I went and slid almost into the creek. Stopped just before my feet hit the water. Bark. She looked at me as if to say "Well, don't just lie there..do something!" I pulled off my shoes and socks and stepped into cold, murky water up to my knees.
I'm not sure if she was tangled in the grass or just totally fed up with the morning but she wouldn't/couldn't move. So I grabbed her collar and dragged her over to me.

Then we need to get up the hill and back to the street. It's not all that far, just 10 feet. But it's rather steep, and did I mention, very wet and slick. And Zoey is an old lady with back hips that sometimes aren't too cooperative. And me...well we're a pair, that's for sure. So I got her in front of me, and I'd push her up a few inches from behind and then I'd go a few inches and retrieve my shoes and socks and do it all again. Of course, she was being all goofy and trying to lick my face. Eventually we got back to the vehicle and home.

ETA: This is a pic from last spring when the rains were pouring and the creek was rising. Now it's much narrower and thankfully much more shallow.

Muddy? OMG. I think she'd just sat down for awhile cause her butt was just mud. And so was mine but fortunately I had jeans on. Weeds, grass and thankfully I didn't find any ummm water critters.

We've both had warm baths, my second for the day. She's asleep and I think that sounds like a good idea.

I want the rest of the day to be ever so boring!

Hahaha I wrote this much earlier and then wandered off in search of Theragesic and the heating pad. When I came back to it I realized it needed some pics. As I looked through Picasa, I also found some pics of some roving that I apparently bought sometime or other. I have NO idea where this gorgeous stuff is..and once I get a bit more energy, I think a search is in order.

It's Fall!

2009-09-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

My most favorite time of year, second only to winter. And, I'm back. I'm not sure what happened other than summer. Quite a lot of the time I was a bit of a mess due to work stuff, but that's mostly settled down. More about that at another time.

There's been knitting, and Ravelry, and meeting sheep, and knitting, and discovering that part of the sheetrock in my leaky utility room was on the floor. (I have a rather wonky plan about that...I'll let you know if it works. But it will be awhile because it just keeps raining)

All of that recedes as FALL becomes real. Leaves beginning to turn. Delightfully unseasonable temperatures which make me sing (badly, but that's the way it is). And yesterday......oh one of my favorite things.

The Oklahoma State Fair! I do so love the fair. I hear people say "oh it's not as good as it used to be" or "I used to go but haven't been in years". I dunno, to me it's still magical! All those jars of canned goods. Quilts. Tatting. Knitting. 4H Projects. The midway barkers. The food...Indian Tacos. Gyros. Cinnamon Rolls. Caramel Apples. Turkey Legs. Funnel Cakes. Corn Dogs. Corn on the Cob. We won't discuss what all I ate. Let me just say that supper was an impossibility.

For the last several years I've been lucky enough to go on Senior Citizen Day. Which means I get in free. Free is a good thing and there really are good things about getting older. Although I was a bit sad that this year a lady just gave me my entry pass as I walked towards the gate. No more carding :-(

Grabbing a corn dog first thing (oh I forgot. I wasn't going to talk about food) right after I entered the gate, I was off to see the sights. And such sights there were. I spent a long time looking at antique John Deere tractors. When I was a little girl in Ohio, my best friend down the road had a daddy who was the county Ag agent. And as such, he brought home toy tractors given to him by dealers. And I LOVED the JDs. I really thought being grown up would mean you could have all the blue tweedy covered Nancy Drews AND your own John Deere green tractor. I got the Nancy Drews, but the closest I got to one of those green beasts was painting a shed roof with John Deere green.

There were so many pretty things in the Hobbies, Arts and Crafts building. Spun wool, beautiful quilts, jars of fruit so pretty that they looked unreal.

And the vendors...oh my gosh, so many free things being given away. I signed so many tickets..surely they will pick me!

Now you might think that going on Sr. Citizen Day would mean that the crowds would be free of youngsters, teens etc. Not so, but I didn't see even one incident of unpleasantness. Oh wait, there was one. In a building with lots of vendors, I paused at a booth offering sterling silver jewelry. I was interested in the rings as they had larger sizes and I have big fingers. As I waited my turn to browse behind 3 ladies, I noticed a woman in a power wheelchair farther down the counter. She told the seller that she wanted to see sterling rings, and he indicated the area where the 3 ladies were. I thought I would let her in in front of me, since I am a nice person. But not to worry. She put that chair in gear and practically mowed down the 3 women, saying "I need to see these". They jumped back in alarm and Ms. Chair Person began to happily try on rings.

The ubiquitous yard sticks were everywhere, but I resisted. I have plenty from earlier fairs...it was a great temptation though.

The vineyard section of the Made in Oklahoma building was ummm nice. And yes, a bottle came home with me. Must support local agriculture. And, I even know someone that grows grapes for one of the vineyards. Yes, that's the reason it came home with me.

One of my favorite things to do is to tour the mobile homes. If I didn't live in tornado alley, I'd surely have me one. I find them fascinating and much better designed as far as space goes than most stick built homes. One couple and I played house in one, talking about where we'd put the dining table, and how one bedroom could be for her hobbies and he could have another and then a bedroom to sleep in. I'm not so attracted to some of the huge showplace types. Hello? A Grecian arch in your living room?? Not for me.

And then, off to the barns. The great big show barn had a barnyard nursery section. Baby chicks pecking their way out. This year I did share with a lady that some of them were just resting from their endeavors, not dead..and thankfully they raised their little heads after a bit, got to their feet, and got on with their chicken lives. There were HUGE sows with their newborn litters, one is due today but I have to go to work. AND, there were little kids. Goat kids. Now, since I spent much of my spring glued to the came at Susie Gibbs CSA fiber farm watching little angora goats being born, I was sad that I didn't actually get to touch them. One of the vet people was holding a two day old kid. O.M.G. what a delicious softness. And I swear the little guy was smiling at all the attention.

There were others in the pens with their mothers all snuggled down happily. When I finally moved on from the nurseries, I entered another barn to visit with the Express Clydesdales. Massive, majestic, and oh so gentle. Then off to stumble across a 4H or FFA goat show. Not sure which. And I do hope those kids actually learned from the judge. I've never heard anyone speak that fast except at auctions. And wow..there were surely a lot of different kinds of goats. From the pygmies to goats with names longer than I can type.

Such a fun day. And after about 5 hours of walking, I called it quits and headed for home. And the heating pad and the muscle relaxers. Well worth every step.

Lucky Me!

2009-06-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

The stars were certainly aligned correctly for my well-being on Saturday. Friday night when I came home from buying groceries, my oil light came on as I pulled into the driveway. Then immediately went off. How weird. I thought it was just a loose wire or something. But hot and tired, I unloaded stuff and called it an evening.

Saturday morning, it was all about getting to Petsmart in the next town. I pulled out of the drive and the light came on..went off..came on, etcetera. So I drove to the oil change place a couple of blocks from my house. Check the oil, please.

The guy pulled out the dipstick, called his friend over, did it again..

"Ma'am there isn't enough to even show up on the dipstick" What??? OMG! He went down in the pit to see if he could see where it had gone; then came back up and told me I needed an 'oil sending module'.

Oh great..just what I need. Vehicle repairs. He said it wouldn't take long to put one on, but I'd have to go get one. So they poured in some oil, and I headed downtown. Remember, I live in a small town, so this isn't far. I walked into the NAPA place with debit card in hand and purchase one. Cost? $5. I didn't know there were any car parts that cost that little.

Back to oil change place. They put it on and fill the oil up. Cost? $20!!! And off I went to load up on cat food.

As I was checking out, I saw the daughter of a former coworker. She's a manager at that store. And, before I left she had my email address. Apparently, they occasionally have specials for friends and family of their associates.

Afraid to push my good luck, I then headed home and cleaned house and was ever so grateful. A very nice day indeed.

An Unexpected Guest

2009-05-26T19:28:00.001-07:00

So, I was sitting in the living room folding clean towels and cleaning rags and such. TV was on quietly, but I was not paying attention. I was sort of blissed out, daydreaming, just enjoying being at that very time. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw something dark falling just a couple of feet from me in the middle of the room. And heard a very quiet sort of 'thunk'.

And there was my visitor. A bird. Lying on my living room floor, wings outspread but not moving. I grabbed up a soft cloth and tossed it over it in case the cats or dog noticed. They slumbered on. And very gently I scooped it up and headed out to the front yard. I placed it in the bushes. It remained very still for a bit and then creeped farther under the hedge. When I checked later, it was gone.

How did it get in here? No open windows. The screen door was secure. How long had it been here and where was it sitting before it dropped to the floor? I don't know. It didn't tell me.

It was a guest, but a very quiet one. And now it's gone on to other adventures. Good bye little bird.

Adventure!!

2009-05-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Very early Saturday morning I, thanks to my new Rav friends Suzy, her husband Frank and adorable precocious daughter Sierra, set off to visit more Rav friends and others at Jacob's Reward Farm in Parker, TX. I got a REALLY early start. It had been decided that we'd leave Norman (which is about 60 miles from me) at 0630. That meant I'd need to leave about 0530 and get up about 0430. So full of excitement I set my alarm after returning from high school graduation ceremonies. My nephew-of-choice Tyler was one of the graduates! (Yay...but when did he grow up???)

Sleep was difficult...I kept waking up wondering if it was time yet, but finally the alarm went off. I had to prod Zo awake. Even the cats looked confused. And after they were all fed, I looked at the clock and it was 0345!! Eeek...too late for any more sleep. So, I took a soaky bath, ate my Cheerios and headed off.

So excited! Suzy met me at her door and it was like I'd known her forever! I gotta say, if you ever want to go on a fun road trip, you need to go with these folks. I laughed soooooooooo much.

Finally after negotiating some of the Dallas/Ft Worth area (I would NEVER attempt to drive this!) we arrived! Greeting us was Cindy and her husband, the owners, and also Susie, the owner of Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm/Hudson Valley Fiber Farm, the first fiber CSA (community supported agriculture).

The weather and the setting was super!

Pleasantly warm, good shade, and beautiful people!

Susie did a dyeing demo, and later after paying close attention, Suzy appeared to be a mad scientist mixing potions :)

Not to be ignored, the animals seemed at times to be quite interested in us too.

This little Babydoll Southdown was my favorite. Probably because he liked for me to scritch his ears. I'm SURE I was his favorite scritcher and I could easily fall totally and hopelessly in love!

We ate, we spun, we knitted, we talked, we laughed, we ate some more, and laughed some more and told stories and asked questions, and laughed. Nirvana!

Then time for spinning lessons. Cindy had cleverly made CD spindles with her farm logo on the cd. Very clever indeed. And Susie had a lesson. Go Susie!

And, ohhhh there were chickens! I adore chickens. I love watching them be their busy, little selves. There were chickens all over the place. I think Cindy said she had 29. These were hanging out in the coop doing their chicken things as Sierra discovered. And yes, some eggs came home with me! Nom.nom.nom.

All too soon, it was time to head home. What a great adventure! I loved meeting people who I'd met on Ravelry and the local people that came to support Cindy and meet us. I think, if she lived closer, I could become a real pest!

Up Close and Personal

2009-05-21T19:43:00.001-07:00

Sometimes things just happen. I try and try to get wonderful pics of my cats and the dog..and usually they all end up in the Picasa trash. But sometimes they don't.

Spun

2009-05-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

I spent part of last evening spinning with fiber I wasn't supposed to be spinning. I purchased it at Rendevous and 5 different people told me it would be hard for me, a novice, to spin it on my spindle. So, of course I had to try it. It wasn't that I didn't believe them. I did, and they are all MUCH more experienced than I am. The thing is, everytime I'd walk through the playroom, it would taunt me from inside the keeper.

"Nah, nah, nah, nah...you can't spin me!" in a decidedly sheepy voice. And so I pulled it out and started to play. I still have no real idea what works. I divided in half and half again, did some pre-drafting and got the spindle out of the scotch box where it lives. And here is the result..

I have no idea how much there is, but wrapping it round and round a ruler tells me there is between 12-14 wpi. And, for me this is a biggy, I managed to do it with only ONE time catching the fiber that was supposed to be hanging over my arm. Yay me.

Fiber: Kate Lowder's Rambouillet/Mohair Blend. And there's still more. Heh.

What Is That Light??

2009-05-13T05:47:00.001-07:00

Sun?? What is sun? It's been a really long time since I've seen the sun rise..or for that matter last anytime of day for longer than a few minutes. Mary thought it would be a good time to take yet another nap

Fun, Food, Friends and Fiber

2009-05-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

What a great group of nouns! Yesterday was the Rt66 Fiber Rendevous in Edmond and I fought my way through rain and road construction and it was every bit worth it.

While I have great friends locally, only a couple are fiber folks. So getting to be surrounded by them is all wonderful. Some of them I see a couple of times a year so there are lots of "How you been? What are you working on?" etc. And there was fiber and yarn and looms and spindles and all sorts of good things.

There was also a potluck but due to some apparent misunderstandings, there didn't seem to be enough food for all that were there. So Katya and I went across the street to a Pita shop (whose name I don't remember) and I had the BEST sandwich I've had in a long time. I need to find an excuse to go to Edmond again :)

And, yes, I spent money. I took cash in my pocket so I was controlled but when I left, I had $2.25 cents left. That would have been gone also but I couldn't find anything for sale at that price. Dang!

I bought yarn and fiber. I'm gonna spin well if it's the last thing I do. Here's the goods.

The green and orange skeins just hopped into my bag as I walked by the table they were on. And I certainly didn't want to be labeled a thief. So I happily paid for them and sure...I need green and orangey yarn. All the rest of the yarn was in a big box. Someone was destashing sock yarn. Be still my heart. The big skein of brown tweed (which is much prettier in real life) was $10 for 400+ yarns and the others were $3!! The brown..which looks really drab in the photo is a really soft tweed sock yarn. I could only find one of the rainbow skeins and it certainly isn't enough for a pair of socks but it was a lovely antidote to a very gray day. The big ball of roving is Ramboulliet and the little one is Ramboulliet and angora. And I know the R's owner so it's kinda like spinning with a friend. It spins like butter on my spindle. Well sometimes rather lumpy butter but you get the idea.

Today has been about catching up with laundry etc, and playing with the new stuff. Oh and soaking in the tub with some really yummy bath salts my girl sent me. She seems to have a real talent for making this and I told her that since I got some for Christmas and some for Mother's Day, she has inadvertently started a tradition. And I'm all about traditions. And, for me, it's a special day. The kitties and the dog have been unusually attentive and who doesn't like a fur/dog hair snuggle?

Things You Didn't Know About Me

2009-05-04T04:23:00.000-07:00

I've never done one of those 100 Things about Me memes, actually I thought about doing it but I have no idea how to put it on a different page.

So, in the event you'd like to further your knowledge of me...

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Red dirt!

Red dirt will often rub up against people to lay her scent and mark her territory!
Red dirt can usually be found in nests built in the webs of large spiders.
Astronauts get taller when they are in red dirt.
In Japan it is considered rude to talk with red dirt in your mouth.
Red dirt cannot be detected by infrared cameras.
All gondolas in Venice must be painted black unless they belong to red dirt.
There are six towns named red dirt in the United States!
If you kiss red dirt for one minute you will burn six or seven calories!
Red dirt can't sweat!
Red dirt is physically incapable of sticking her tongue out!

Or if you know me as Susan...

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Susan!

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but Susan can not!
It takes a lobster approximately 7 years to grow to be Susan.
In Japan it is considered rude to talk with Susan in your mouth.
If you toss Susan 10000 times, she will not land heads 5000 times, but more like 4950, because her head weighs more and thus ends up on the bottom!
Moles are able to tunnel through 300 feet of Susan in a day.
If your ear itches, this means that someone is talking about Susan!
Susan can smell some things up to six miles away.
Susan is the only one of the original Seven Wonders of the World that still survives.
Banging your head against Susan uses 150 calories an hour.
There are more than two hundred different kinds of Susan!

Other than that, I have nada. I went to a lovely wedding and reception on Saturday and didn't take even one picture. I must admit that the thought of this young woman getting married made me feel pretty old. I've known her since she was a youngun. However, I do believe getting older is better than the only other option.

Guess Who's Back

2009-04-29T05:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning as I arrived at work, a giant fish head and skeleton greeted me on the sidewalk. What the? The lake is rather to far away for a flying fish. Oh..and what's this? A rather battered carcass of another kind.

The answer? The foxes are back! This time Mama had 8 kits! Lots of feeding to do but I would have loved to see her catch that fish, and then carry it back over the golf course to her babes. I can't positively say it's the same mother as last year but it seems right. Odd that another one would come back to the underground pathways made back then.

I wasn't able to get all of them at once. They move really fast and while one group was still, the other were zipping off in different directions. Oh what I'd give for a DSLR with a really good telephoto lens!

Later in the afternoon, one of the girls I work with announced that she (the fox..not my coworker) was stalking some Canadian geese that were over on the golf course. Now I'm aware of the food chain but I'm not one for watching it so I declined to go watch. Not to worry, those geese made short shrift of her quickly and she beat a path back across the road.

The fish head was unrecognizable by the end of the work day. Hungry babies for sure. We did do a bit of a litter pick up. One of them had been chewing on a plastic thing. Not good, baby!

It's pouring rain today so I doubt that I'll see much of them. But somehow knowing they are out there makes the work day more fun. Mainly because I don't have to worry about protecting any chickens!

Totally Addicted

2009-04-21T04:24:00.000-07:00

to baby goats! And now Ravelry too!

Somehow I discovered there was a group on Ravelry as equally entranced as I am, and hey guess what! They're nice people. I'm sorry that was tacky, but my first experiences there were unfortunately influenced by a lot of drama. And, I seem to have outgrown that part of my life as well as many of my clothes. :) So, for me Ravelry was a place to check out yarns and patterns and keep my mouth shut. So glad to find that it's more than that.

But back to the babies. You really should spend some time with the lamb cam. Or if you need more immediate babyness, check out the blog. Lots of adorable photos and right at the top now is a wonderful video of Arno, the first born. Now there are (I think) 23 babies. And the last one was born right in front of me as I ate my supper on Sunday!

Knitting? Not a lot. Still working on that chicken which is killing my hands. So not far along. Maybe I really should use the yarn recommended instead of some crinkly cotton I found in my stash??

The laundry sock has fallen behind because........tada my washer worked this week! So laundry was done at home while I cleaned house and such. It's now become the Ravelry sock so I can knit a few rows while I visit. It's ok..supposed to be in the 80s this week. I won't need a wool sock for awhile.

So, what have y'all been up to? Probably lots of constructive things unlike me who is enjoying being a voyeur. :)

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T17:51:00.001-07:00

But for a real Easter treat, head over to Hudson Valley/Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm and meet Arno. I was lucky enough to be watching the Lamb Cam when the birth was announced and then very soon got to see this sweetest one in real time via the cam. I must admit to spending much time this weekend just checking in.

Snow? What snow?

2009-03-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

We maybe got a couple of inches but most of that blew right away. I got really excited in the middle of the night when I peeked outside and noted that the trunk of my car was level with the roof due to the piled up snow. Then, I realized that there was hardly any on the front and even less on the ground. So much for my snow storm. :-( I guess I should be thankful instead since in the Panhandle they got like 24 inches and roofs were collapsing. I'm certain mine wouldn't hold up in somehting like that.

The personal wedding shower was extremely fun and especially since there were women of all ages there. It was nice to be out and about and laughing so much and having such good food! I could have made a pig of myself but I behaved with great restraint.

The dishcloth was completed. It's a designer dishcloth..Debbie Bliss! But not designer yarn..simple Peaches and Cream. I think I'll give it to the bride-to-be..there is always need for a dishcloth tucked in with something a bit more exciting.

And since I don't have any snow pictures, I'll share this picture of tonight's sky about sundown. There's hail in that baby and we got some pea sized hail here. It was fun standing on the porch watching it roll in. Mother Nature surely puts on an interesting show.

Update

2009-03-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

Good news! I still have my job. I'm happy about that but at the same time feel rather guilty because..

Bad news! A number of my friends don't. And it was done with great drama...even had the cops on hand in case there was some sort of violence? Oh please.

No snow yet. And the total projected amount has been downgraded since it's moving much slower. It's rained off and on all day and we certainly need the moisture. Bad news...since it's cold and wet we are having freezing rain instead. Fortunately it didn't start until 5 pm so coming home wasn't a problem. I just hope the snow gets in a hurry so I don't wake up to no power.

Here's a tiny frozen drop on a brand new leaf.

And now back to the dishrag

Nada

2009-03-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's not that I didn't want to post..it's just that I wanted to have something to show when I posted. Alas...

The sweater is in protective custody..being protected from me. I sorta kinda messed up. It's been frogged back past the messed up part and is safely on needles in hiding until the knitter is a bit more coherent or something.

The chicken has flown the coop! I truly can't even find that lovely one.

And the baby afghan? Well after two knitted patterns I decided that I really really hate knitting with that yarn. I'm sure it's just me because I've read that others like it a lot. So, I decided to crochet. A fun easy pattern but when I spread it out to take a pic, I discovered that 4 rows in I neglected to go all the way to the end and a mitered side wasn't what I wanted. I was a bit cranky when I discovered it so I cut it to bits!!

Last night I gave in..and started a dishcloth. Even if I screw that up, it can still be used for scrubbing!

Work has been absolutely frantic. We have ANOTHER new management company to start April 1st. But before then, there will be a layoff. Our director thinks we are safe as he has not been contacted about getting rid of any of us. I know he doesn't lie..so he feels secure in saying that. I just hope they don't decide to surprise him. Today is the last day of the pay period so hopefully it will happen today and the ones that are left can breathe a bit easier this weekend.

But tomorrow I should have something to show. We're expecting snow..in some places a bunch of it. According to the weather guy's maps my town is the dividing line between 6-12 inches and 3-5 inches. We shall see. I'm supposed to go to a personal bridal shower tomorrow and I hope it comes off. The soon-to-be-bride just found out yesterday that her fiance is being laid off today. Not a good thing. They're such great young people, that sucks!

Oh hell...it's hailing! Until tomorrow when I'll at least have pictures of something, even if it's a dish rag, I wish you well.

Friday in the Big Town

2009-03-14T06:32:00.000-07:00

Yes there was yarn! And two LYSs. One was really busy and crowded and I must admit to a bit of overload. The other one was quieter and I had fun talking with the other shoppers and staff.

Panera Bread was yummy but crowded! I did secure a seat next to a young man working on his laptop and putting together a contract for mucho dollars according to his phone call. (I'm constantly amazed that folks just assume the people near them aren't listening into their side of the convo. I knew where he'd been, who he'd talked with and how much the contract was for)I was happy for him. What a way to honor Friday the 13th and I'm sure his bosses thought so too. And the broccoli cheese soup was yummy as always. And, I brought home a cinnamon bagel which I just had as a mid-morning snack today on my Mrs. Tiggywinkle plate. Yes, I'm always about maturity!

As for the new addition to the yarn stash, I got TyDye sock yarn (it really called to me in the middle of that very gray, damp day) and some Comfort worsted for a baby blanket. For someone who damn well better not be pregnant since she's 14. But I want to make sure that when she does have a baby I'll be represented.

And now for the cardio. He basically poo-pooed the idea of unstable angina. Didn't even discuss the possibility. Apparently my blood pressure was really high when I got to the ER so he thinks it's related to that and prescribed some tabs to dissolve under my tongue if it gets high again. He asked repeatedly if I was stressed at the time. I kept telling him no, that it was actually a very nice work day and I was happy. Finally he looked at me and said something to the effect of if he worked there he'd be stressed! LOL He seemed to think I wanted surgery....NOT! And went to great pains to tell me that he thought his partners often did that too soon. He also gave me an Rx for a new bottle of Nitro which blew the budget even with the $20 off coupon his nurse gave me.

And suggested that I put it in my pocket and walk a lot because he'd be interested in chest pain related to exercise. I guess I should just blow this off as an expensive adventure and go on with my fine self. But Sheri, it's scary! He had no explanation why I was so tired and why I get more short of breath except that that could be related to my smoking history. Funny tho that everything happens at once. Susan shrugs.

And in knitting news, I'm almost to where I cast off the lower part of the neck in front. But I'm confused. It says " With right side facing, work across to the first marker; join a second ball of yarn and bind off center stitches for the front neck; work to the end, 36 stitches remain. OK...got that

Then it says " Working both sides at the same time, work even until the armhold measures the same as the back to the shoulder shaping, ending with a wrong side row.

So, I'm on circs. I knit on one side, then drop that yarn, scoot over and work the other side with the first ball of yarn? Maybe so. Or maybe I'll start the baby blanket. :-)

And, I guess hitting publish post (3 hrs after I wrote it) might be appropriate.

Weird Weather and Chicken Bellies

2009-03-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

Last night when Zoey made her last trip outside at 10:30, it was 72 degrees and raining. This evening when I came home it was 41 and really damp and windy. We did get some rain which we really need but I don't think there was a lot because the roof didn't leak in the utility room. My laundry will be funny looking this week. The weekend was really warm and now it' really chilly so there will be cropped pants and sweatpants. And tank tops and long sleeved shirts.

And tonight I made a turquoise colored chicken belly. It's all frogged and back in the bag. I'm not sure what I did but I didn't have enough stitches around to pick up. Ya think I should have knitted a swatch?? Surely not. It's ok though, because the chicken won't be 'alive' until she has a face. So it didn't hurt her. Yeah, I'm weird but I do have a good time!

I have an appt with the cardio for Friday. Did I ever mention that there is a Panera Bread just across the road...and a mile or so back south is my LYS? Yesss my pretties, I may have a bit of fun along the way. I'm feeling ok, just more tired at the end of the day. The good part of that is that when I'm tired I get really silly so I have had some delightful times between 4 and 5 pm. My coworkers tell me I'm short of breath sometimes but it must not be very major because I haven't noticed it. And no chest pain. Yay!

I do need some weather good wishes. They're talking about maybe ice on Thursday and if that happens I'm hoping your good thoughts will make it go away by Friday. K?

Another Weekend Over

2009-03-09T05:38:00.000-07:00

And a most welcome weekend it was although not as I had planned.

Friday morning was busy at work, lots of stuff on my desk needing my attention but in the back of my brain, I was planning on playing in the City. I really, really wanted to go to my LYS. Not that I really needed yarn...I just really needed to see yarn, and touch yarn, and sniff yarn. I had already done most of the weekend tasks, laundry was in process and it was supposed to be really nice weather. So a smile was on my face as I systematically tackled the pile of paper stacked to my right. I had just completed one phase. and thought with any luck the rest of it would be done by 5. But then...

I was taking a mental break and trying to figure out what I would have for lunch when I felt that old scary feeling. The feeling of someone creeping up on little cat feet to smash my chest. I did the deep breathing, the relaxation and that big something kept coming. Quietly I got the nitro out of my bag. One squirt under my tongue, wait 5 minutes. Second squirt, wait 5 minutes..this isn't working. OK, the 3rd and last squirt will do it. Nope..instead it just increased.

So, instead of heading over to the cafeteria for the daily special, I found myself being wheeled through the back door and into the ER. Happily, oxygen helped relieve the pain. And equally happily, they decided I hadn't had a heart attack. We decided..me, my friends and coworkers and the PA decided perhaps it was unstable angina. Lab was obtained, xrays were taken, and an echocardiogram was obtained. And then finally at 3 pm..I got some lunch! Yay. And got to come home early from work.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent gazing at my navel. Not really. I was tired..but not like the other week, so knitting continued on my tunic. I even attachted the handwarmer flap. It was making me crazy just hanging there. And I read, and studied the chicken pattern that came in the mail. And looked through stash to see what I might use to make her. (of course, it's a girl chicken..it's not a rooster) I haven't started her yet..so far I'm just having fun thinking about her.

And I was kind of "chicken" (heh)to drive into the City...a number of highway miles with nothing around me in case I was in trouble. So I yarn surfed and decided I really need some Socks That Rock yarn. I've never had any, have you? And, if so, do you like it?

Probably though, I'll order some of Regia Fasset's Mirage My first socks knitted with sock yarn that wasn't Kool Aid dyed was Regia and they are still holding up well unlike others that have bit the dust..or rather, blown out their heels.

But, there is a new addition to my little family. Yesterday I went to the local feed/seed, grain/garden/paint/gift store. Locally owned and tons of stuff to browse. All I went for were 9V batteries for the smoke detector but I came home with this little guy to add to my collection. He's the one with the stripes. I've never had a blue duck before. So welcome Mr. Stripey.

Today, it's work (maybe someone did all the stuff in my stack and I can start out clean) and a call to my cardiologist who still has not called my PCP back. I'm tired of this for sure. And more knitting, I'm sure!

What's up with you?

Weekend

2009-03-01T16:23:00.000-08:00

What is it about the weekend? Since I was home most of last week, it wasn't like I was looking forward to not going to work. But somehow, when I woke up Saturday morning there was that feeling. The two whole days to do something besides work on Medicare stuff. I wonder when people retire do they still look forward to weekends? Is it some sort of interior clock? When I first started being a nurse, I only got every other weekend off..or was it every 3rd? Dang brain. But that was a long time ago and this weekend off stuff has been going on for a lot of years.

Today I painted the house. Well, not the actual house although it definitely needs it. Nope, instead I spent a lot of time happily entertained painting a little birdhouse that I found at Dollar Tree. I just wanted something that was bright and happy. And then rummaged around through miscellaneous craft stuff to find a new inhabitant. I think it would be fun to have a house painted like this.

And apropos of nothing, there's been a change in status around here. Now for awhile, if I came home unexpectedly, I'd often find Zoey asleep on the loveseat. Poor dear is pretty deaf, so unless I touched her rather firmly, she usually didn't even know I was here. But she never ever ever got up there in the evening when I was home. Never even looked like she wanted to be up there. But this week all that changed. I woke up from a nap thinking about how nice and warm my feet were and then discovered that she was laying on them. For a few days, it only happened if I were asleep. Now, she just hops up there like that's where she's supposed to be.

A friend said "Awwww, she knows you don't feel well and she's taking care of you."

I'm thinking Zoey thought "oh hey, she doesn't feel good...she won't notice..and by the time she does she'll think I'm taking care of her. Heh"

And doesn't that stitch holder look like an hair curler?

Hello, my name is Susan

2009-02-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

Just in case you forgot who I am :-)

Spring is just around the corner here. This morning my vehicle was covered with dew so heavy I had to use the wipers. Daffodils are coming up, showcasing the grass that needs to be pulled around them. And the other day, I saw a big ol' fly. Oh yay!

These last months have been filled with knitting, and books and a bit of sewing and books, and work and books. Birthday and Christmas gift certificates and $$ have all been spent it seems on books..oh and a bit of yarn too.

Just look!

The most recent ones are Casting Spells (nothing like a paranormal knitting story) Debbie Bliss Home and the Baby Surprise DVD (is sort of like a book), Still Life with Chickens, and Montana Creeds:Dylan. They all arrived this week thanks to Knitpicks book sale and a nice percent off coupon from Barnes and Noble. I've read and LOVED the chicken book. Dylan is up next because my funny friend Jackie is waiting to read it too. Debbie Bliss has some really nice patterns in this book..my first of hers. And btw, I love her new magazine also. Casting Spells ... well I read a preview of it way back in the fall I think. I thought I had pre-ordered it but..nope. And by the time I realized that, I had also forgotten the title. But stumbled across it in a blog last weekend and rushed off to order it.

I've also discovered a new blog too. Cold Antler Farm. I've managed to read it clear back through the beginning and what a wonderful young woman this Jenna is. Actually I found her book first, but alas my book $$ are well used up for the time being. I think I want to BE her! There are sheep, folks.

Knitting, why yes. There's a new pair of socks. I think the yarn is some Knitpicks I bought a long time ago. And no, my legs really aren't that white. I really tried to get Picasa to fix them but they just got worse. The socks I love. New socks are such fun.

But the big knitting news is that I'm attempting something a bit larger. I'm calling it a sweater but it's really a tunic so no sleeves. Shear Spirit is one of my favorite knitting books. I wanted it for a long time before I got it, and was ever so happy to learn that once it was in my hands I truly loved it. I like the patterns but it's just such a gorgeous book of photos and I love learning about the people and their lives. Such a voyeur! I started it on inauguration day, and there certainly have been some starts and stops. Changes of needles a bazillion times it seemed before I could come up with something that didn't make my right wrist ache so much that I could only knit on it sporadically, learning to count..again and again. But finally things came together and the back is done although not blocked and the front is started. At this point in time, I'll love it even if it doesn't fit. It's my first, ya know.

I still have a job. The facility is going to hell in a handbasket so payday is truly a time for rejoicing. I was told today that the entire board resigned so I shudder to think what's next. It's not the economy although that plays a part. It's more about power plays with the facility and the employees just the pawns. Really ugly things have happened. Morale is somewhere on the floor. It makes me really sad, angry and scared.

But this week I have been away from it. Feeling really lousy and I finally got in to see my doc today. She ordered lots of lab and tests (one of the dianosis on the forms said "overwhelming exhaustion" and that about sums it up) and they all came back ok so the next step will be for her to call my cardiologist tomorrow. I'm kinda scared because I can't think of anything else he could do that would not be invasive, and I don't like invasive. I'm consoling myself that perhaps the timing of my appointment will allow me to stop by my LYS. There's always a bright side. Right? Please say yes!

Oh...and wait...there's money. Ok so I can't really spend it, but I'm sure having fun with it. My daughter sent it to me from the Spanishtown Mardi Gras festivities in Baton Rouge. When I went to Mardi Gras I enjoyed their celebrations soooo much. Such a fun bunch of people. Need some cash? I'll send you some!

Now I think I've done all the links and stuck in all the poorly lit photos and now I shall take my overwhelmingly exhausted self off to bed. See ya soon. Hopefully a bit more often

Happy Solstice

2008-12-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

Sorry to have been gone so long. It seemed like after a day at work either ducking not-so-good situations or just being totally worn out from trying to be upbeat, I had no words left. Well, that's not true. But they weren't words worth reading :-)

While I was gone I had a birthday. I always enjoy my birthday. For one thing, it means that I'm alive and the $#*&%^ didn't get me yet. For another thing, I'm one year closer to Medicare and I'll be ever so glad when it gets here because hopefully then I can become unemployed. Maybe I'll starve, who knows. But I'm ready for a nice change in life.

I spent part of that day at the lake taking pictures and enjoying the solitude of a quiet Sunday morning that was sunny and relatively warm. And just taking some time without a lot of distractions.

I've done some knitting. Hershey helped me knit a scarf and we even finished it. Yummy, warm and soft.

Yarn: Valley Yarns Williamstown from Webs
Pattern: Ummm it was in one of those knitting a day calendars. Really easy. One side is K3, P3. The reverse is K1, P1. And it looks the same on both sides oddly enough. I do wonder how people come up with these stitch patterns.

There are some socks on the needles. I call them Monday socks. There have been a series of meetings on Mondays and I take them with me. Last Monday I got a bye on the meeting but I kept to the plan and turned a heel and did the gusset on one of them. I think the yarn is from Knitpicks. I know I've had it for a long time.

I made a winter kitchen curtain. The LQS was having their grand opening after moving, and after standing in line at one of 3 cutting tables for what seemed like hours(people were buying hundreds of dollars worth of fabric!), I came away with a piece of batik with snowflakes in it. It makes me smile.

And there was also a sale on fleece at Hancocks so I now have new shams for the loveseat pillows as well as a piece of light camel colored fleece to act as a sort of slipcover, and a piece that turned into a large throw. Lots of snuggles on that now.

I took naps. Oh, this isn't me. My hair isn't blonde.

And now, I'm a little chilly. So I think it's time to go grab that fleecy throw and knit on a mitten. Hope you're warm and snuggly where you are and that life is treating you well.

I Am Sooooo Glad

2008-11-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

that it's Friday! It's really been one of 'those' weeks.

Monday and Tuesday were spent at home being up close and personal with a heating pad. Sunday I was on the step ladder hanging curtains back up in the living room. Stepped off the bottom step so that I could see a football replay. Oh, but oops. I was on the next step up. Big step down in which I really tried hard to drive my right hip up through the top of my head. Dang...I just can't get rid of my klutz reputation.
But once I got enough drugs in my system it wasn't all a bad thing. Lots of Cold Case Files and knitting and napping.
So I go back to work on Wednesday and discover that all sorts of bad things are happening at my place of employment. All quite complicated and probably not appropriate for blogging...and very scary. My dept. director keeps trying to give us the sense that this isn't really total disaster. But he's talking to us with tears in his eyes? We shall see. Please great employment office in the sky...I really need one more year. Please? Pretty please?
In an attempt to bring calmness and contentedness into my life, my evenings have been spent with eggnog (alcohol free) and yarn. Two of my most favorite things in the world. Apparently though, I'm somehow transmitting my inner thoughts to the animals who can't decide whether they need to race around madly or pile up on me until moving is difficult :-)

So I decided on the way home tonight that other than changing my sheets and doing laundry, I wasn't going to do anything that NEEDED to be done this weekend. Just knit and spin and nap and catch up on blogs.
Hmmm, when I booted up the computer I got this message that a problem had been discovered on my hard drive. Like I know what I'm supposed to do about that. I clicked on through and got on line without difficulty but who knows how long that will last?
Is this some sort of cosmic glitch?
I guess I'd better hurry up and look up a recipe for chai tea. So I'll have something to do if I become unemployed and without a computer.
Hopefully see you later this weekend. What have you got planned?

Weird...

2008-11-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

Saturday after a rudimentary bit of housework, I set off for the near west side of the City with specific shopping goals in mind.
There was hopefully going to be new nail polish for my toes, possibly and MP3 player and some cotton yarn for a dishcloth.
First stop was Ulta for a little set of OPI nail polish that was in the previous Sunday paper. I love OPI but it's rather expensive for my budget so the chance to get 3 tiny bottles for $4.95 sounded like a mood brightener. I enter the bright store populated with a lot of staff, all young, thin, and dressed in black. I didn't see the product at the front of the store and when I asked, I was told they'd sold out. At which time, the associate turned back to her coworker to continue their conversation. Now, I really hate to be smothered by sales people, but I would have thought a good thing to say was something like, "I'm sorry, we've sold out. We do, however, have these whatevers that are also really cool and a good buy." Or perhaps, "Would you like to see our other OPI polishes?" But nada. I wandered around a bit, finally found a little set of red and green polish, paid and left. I felt rather invisible. Was I just not dressed appropriately for such a spiffy store? Did it not appear that I had any money to spend? Or did they just not care? Since there were very few shoppers in the store I would have thought there would have been more effort.
Next, to the Best Buy next door. I know that I can't afford an iPod. But there are other options, and I wanted to talk to someone who could tell me the differences and help me come up with a solution. I also really want a new camera, mine is sooo heavy.
There were a few more shoppers in here, but not nearly what I'm used to seeing. I first went to the camera section, zeroed in on some I'd read about. Lifted them up and played a bit. I counted...I picked up 10 different cameras, reading the info posted and peering through the view finder. After probably 15 minutes, I then went to the MP3 section. I gazed longingly at the iPods, moved on to the other kinds and tried to determine what made each special. Probably 15 minutes there too. And in that 30 minutes, NOBODY said "Can I help you?" I thought perhaps they were all busy selling Wii-s (how do you type that plural?). Or some other big gaming thing. Or the latest in computers. But the associates there are fairly visible in their blue shirts, and there just weren't any around. Well, except for the checkers (there were NO lines) and the guy at the door. As I left, he asked me if I'd found what I was looking for. And I honestly said "No, I was looking for a sales associate".
And then off to Hobby Lobby. That place was packed!! I got my yarn and got in line to check out. All the checkout lines were staffed. Most people had lots of purchases and I'm nosy. I love to see what other folks are buying. Seemed to be fabric, yarn, paint, paper, glues and beads along with some decorations. Everyone skipping Ulta and making necklaces for their girlfriends? Or skipping Best Buy and their non-existent staff and knitting iPod cozies?
On the way back to the vehicle, I did make another quick stop at Petsmart so Zoey could have a weekend treat. And once again, it was packed. Pets WILL have their treats and food.
I read all about the poor economy and how it's going to affect holiday spending. But guys, if on the off chance someone comes in to spend, it would be really nice to have a bit of help.

Can Nutmeg Make You Sleepy?

2008-11-11T04:56:00.000-08:00

Came home from work on a blustery, damp and very cool day and once the kids were fed I made nutmeg sauce for my pound cake. Ate a bit of supper and topped it off with warmed pound cake with nutmeg sauce. Ummmmmmmmmmm yum! Granted, I ate way too much but oh how good it tasted.

Then settled down with some knitting and Keith Olbermann. I was especially interested to hear his comment on Proposition 8 in California. I wish he'd done this before the vote. But, in my experience, those who believe that gays are the spawn of Satan aren't likely to change their minds. Here in my state, I've heard all the sanctity of marraige arguments, but considering the divorce rate here I find them comical. Which doesn't win me any popularity comments.

Then it was time to watch football. I do remember reaching for the remote to change channels. Listened a bit to Maddow. And the next thing I remember was waking up at 0100 or 1:10 AM. I was halfway sitting up and halfway leaning over on the pillows at the end of the loveseat. My knitting was in my lap with a cat sleeping on top of it.

Up long enough to turn out the lights, take my PM meds and put in my eye drops. I guess I was tired? Woke up with the alarm this morning at 5 and now it's time to get all spiffed up for another day!

Hope yours goes well. Any fun things to do today?

Christmas Past

2008-11-10T05:14:00.000-08:00

One of my holiday traditions is a trip to the mall so I can go into Williams-Sonoma and buy myself a Christmas treat. For someone who isn't all that into cooking, I am just fascinated by all the kitchen things they have and they always have mixes for something good to bake. To my budget, they're expensive but it's a once a year treat.

For some reason, last year's purchase never got made. And on Saturday, when I got the bread flour canister down, I discovered it behind hiding back there.

So on Sunday, almost a year later, I baked it. I think I'm glad it was postponed because it was just the perfect treat.

I got all involved in football and knitting yesterday, but tonight, I'll make some nutmeg sauce to go with it and have a totally calorie laden Monday night.

On the knitting front, I finished the houseshoe but it looks like crap so you aren't going to see it. I'm thinking that the ribbing is going to be completely frogged and done over. We shall see.

Yum!

2008-11-08T16:51:00.000-08:00

Lots of scrubbing and laundry and sweeping and mopping happened here today. And, I put that fuse back in the car and now the lights work properly. A strange noise that has kept me company on the way to work and back is still there. I thought it was the antenna trying to go up, but apparently that's not it. Oh well, so far it's just annoying and everything major is working. I'll have to try and see my mechanic sometime this week.

But the highlight of the day was this..

It's been forever since I've made bread. I had a bread machine for a long time and initially I used it a lot. But when the new wore off it just gathered dust so I traded it for a dust buster and something else that I can't remember now. I really prefer doing it by hand but I wasn't sure I remembered how. Well, I can read a recipe, but the part I was concerned about was just knowing when the dough felt right. It was soooooooo good to knead that dough. And you know what was even better?

Having a warm bread/butter/honey supper. A cold glass of milk just made it perfect.

All Hail!

2008-11-07T04:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday afternoon my secret grins and thumbs up were temporarily suspended. I was minding my own business, standing at the copier when the most horrendous noise occured. Our building is really a metal building wrapped in brick but the metal roof was reverberating with a monstrous pounding noise. We all ran to the only view of the outside..the door. And beheld amazing pouring rain, vicious wind and a ton of hail. In places the ground was white. The road that runs by the building looked like a path through a pasture from all the leaves and dirt and such that had been carried by the rain that ran across it. All quite tremendous and exciting!

But, alas, my camera was at home. And an even greater alas....all my car windows were down! Hey, just 30 minutes before I'd been out doing work errands and the sun was shining. There were some clouds in the west but nothing looking too grim.

OMG! There was enough water on the floorboards to splash in. Hail covered the seats. A folder that had been lying quietly on the front seat was now draped across the back of a seat and the paper that had been in it was soaked and scattered about including one that was plastered to the headliner.

Using a trashbag as an underpad, I headed to the car wash to avail myself of their super vacuum. Swish, gurgle...much of it was sucked up but the car was still super wet. And the LIGHTS WERE ON. They were on when I approached the car. They were on at the carwash and they were still on when I got back to work. I turned off the delay and they stayed on. I moved the light switch and they stayed on.

I have a good battery but I don't think it's going to last through the night with the light on. So off to the gas station.

I'm sure that the guy thought I was some ditzy old woman. After all, it was overcast and my lights are supposed to come on when it gets dim. Eventually, he agreed to perhaps remove a fuse. So he sticks his arm up under the dash and his arm was immediately soaked from draining water. Uh oh.

Finally, a big fuse under the hood was removed and the lights went out. But so did the speedometer and all the other dash lights. It's odd to drive down the street and not be able to see if you're in danger of being ticketed.

He says that it should dry out in a day or two and then I can put the fuse back. :::crossing fingers::: Fortunately yesterday was quite windy so much of the upholstery is much drier and we are to have nice weather on through the weekend.

Oh, and this morning I'm thinking the wind blew out the pilot on the furnace. At least it won't turn on. Off to check on that now.

UPDATE: Just as I hit "publish", the heat turned on. Yay! It's gonna be a great day!

So, what exciting things are going on in your life??

Ooops!

2008-11-05T05:46:00.000-08:00

This rather obscene looking project is really going to be a houseshoe. I'd finished the foot and started on the ribbing for the cuff. Alas, apparently I shouldn't knit and watch election returns at the same time. I was to pick up 44 stitches around the opening to the foot. I picked up 14 and knitted happily along, holding my breath at times as I watched the results come in. That cuff wouldn't even go over a flashlight!
Frogged that and decided that now I had these great big lumpy holes where the stitches and been pulled tight as I added the cuff yarn. So frog some more.

It's a new day. And it will be a better houseshoe.

Mystery Solved!

2008-11-04T03:58:00.000-08:00

The strangest thing happened repeatedly last week. From Wednesday on, every morning when I got to work I'd have a piece of something in my eye. Well, not really IN it but around it. A fuzz that would just drive me crazy. Nothing I could see. I'd rub my eye, spend time looking in the mirror trying to find it all to no avail. Eventually, by mid morning, it would be gone and all was well.
Curiously, before I left for work, all would be fine. I thought of a couple of possibilites.
A cat hair that somehow found it's way to my eyes as I told everyone goodbye.
A piece of spinning fiber that somehow found it's way to my eyes as I walked out the door.
So, I quit spinning in the morning. I told the cats good bye from a distance and still....a very annoying something in my eyes.
But then, on Sunday afternoon, the mystery was solved. I'd decided to go to Sonic for a half price drink and as I approached my vehicle I saw the culprit. The sun was coming from the west and highlighting my driver's window. And gracefully arranged there were gossamer strands of a spider web. It wasn't a big beautiful web, but rather infintesimal strands going here and there. Most importantly, it reached from the front side of the window area to the seat belt bracket on the side. And the spider, a teensy weensy one. I went back in the house and got a cup and relocated her to a more appropriate area. For me anyway, she perhaps wasn't as thrilled. I guess she'd been living there for awhile and every night she practiced her weaving skills only to have me tear things up. And at work, the window was down and perhaps the wind kept her from restoring things during the day. As I cleared out the web, I was amazed at how fine it was. Not like the usual ones that I walk through and then feel all over myself. I couldn't feel it at all on my arms and hands. But when it would get to my eyes, it became an invisible annoyance.
And yesterday? No itchy, cranky eyes. Sorry spider. I hope you found a new place to spin so fine.

Sock That Vote!

2008-11-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, I got to vote early yesterday. Our early voting only started on Friday but there was a really long line. And I was running work errands and didn't think I'd better stop. So up early yesterday as usual and was there at 7:30 with about 50 people ahead of me and they didn't open for actual voting until 8. I had my sock-in-progress in my GoKnit bag hooked onto my belt loop so I happily stood in line and visited and knit. Pretty much had it done by the time we started moving much. I know that I cancelled out the vote of the guy in front of me, and I also know that probably my vote was cancelled numerous times. But still I think it's very exciting that this election is bringing in so many new voters. I was told that in my county there have been thousands of new voters registering and the election board folks have been working really late hours getting all of them in the computer.

Anyway, so here are the sockies. They're fraternal twins..my first. I'm not sure why as the ball bands had the same lot number on them. But ohhhhhhhh they are lovely squishy and soft. The yarn is one of my prizes from Knitty Otter's contest.

Yarn: Ditto Color 4807
Needles: 2.75 and Size 1 dpns
Time spent: uhhh maybe a couple of weeks off and on.

I came home..finished the toe and grafted it. Took their picture and headed off to the next town to take part in the Grand Opening of the new

in the next town over, 10 miles away! It's so nice to not have to drive 30 miles to buy catfood. It's not that they use some bizarre brand, it's just that here there is not much choice. The parking lot was almost FULL and it's a big lot. And there were at least a bazillion dogs and their people inside. And a lot of doggie noise. I got some food (and used my $5 off coupon) and picked up all the freebies and headed home.

Almost too much excitement ;-)

Updates

2008-10-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

Update Number 1
Yep, the water heater is dead. It's gone and a new one is in it's place. The plumber has to come back tomorrow to put on a something or other but it's functional. Once I write the check, unless there are more charges than the estimate, I'll have $7.48 left in my checking account. Hey that's better than an overdraft! And please, if you have any nice deities that will grant wishes, I'm really hoping the inspector won't find any problems. No pics (and aren't you glad?). However, with my propensity for naming everything, I have decided to name it Jolie...because..are you ready? It's HOT. Ok..don't laugh, see if I care!

Update Number 2
Re my CSI post. The latest info from the newspaper is that police stopped a 17 year old boy for erratic driving..possibly DUI. There was a passenger. Passenger would not get out of the vehicle. Passenger was dead. And although the officer told me it was a 'gentleman', it was a woman from out of state. Cause of death has not been released. The very sad thing to me is that the young man is local but they cannot find anyone to claim him. I mean, no family, no friends. That's just wrong!

Update Number 3
My good friend Katya (yay...you're back out online!) wanted to see my consistent spinning. So I wound some down on the spindle and took it's pic. I never said it was a skein or anything close to it :-). It's a start though.

One thing I have to figure out though. When this spindle gets kinda full it just doesn't want to spin. So I've been winding whatever off on toilet paper cores. But, if I were really spinning well, how would I connect all the different pieces?

And this isn't an update but it is a good example of making do. I was on the loveseat knitting and watching tv with the meezer cat. He was sleeping and I wasn't really paying any attention. But when it was time to put things away, I discovered that Mary had decided to join us. And, since apparently we were taking up all the space, she just piled on top.

Balance?

2008-10-19T18:36:00.000-07:00

The weatherman is predicting a rather cool front coming through in the middle of this coming week. We've had a couple already but nothing that required turning on the furnace. That time is coming though so this afternoon I scurried down to the basement to
1. Retrieve my long sleeved shirts
2. Try once again to light the pilot light on the furnace. I had a plan and I had a book on tape going so I wouldn't get too frustrated if I had to keep relighting.

The first part went well; the shirts were actually where I thought they were! And that gave me hope that for the first time in years I'd actually be able to get it to stay lit. The furnace and the water heater live in a little enclosed closet sort of thing. I opened the doors and removed the covers to the pilot area and sat down to light it. That's when I noticed the water. On the floor inside the closet. Not deep but it did cover the area. Hoping against hope that there was a leak where the water comes into the heater, I managed to get my creaky self back on my feet to check. Dry as a bone! Oh hell...just what I wanted to do. Buy and have installed a new water heater. &%$&^%@ Words better left untyped spewed forth and with a very whiny face I went back upstairs to pout.

But, it was a gorgeous day outside. So I thought at least I could pout out on the porch swing. And that's when the balance thing started to happen.

I wasn't home yesterday when the mail arrived, but no matter. There wasn't anything particularly interesting in it. But what's this??? Behind one of the big flower pots I can see something white sticking out. OMG! Look!

I can't really capture the rich jewel tones of this BFL which I ordered midweek from Jessie at A Piece of Vermont. I wasn't planning on ordering anything, just went to monitor shop, so to speak. But the colors! It wasn't payday yet, but who cares. I could replace the money with cash left over from my spindle and fiber last weekend. She shipped it Thursday and it arrived way down here in two days!

I've petted it and loved on it and took pictures of it and then put it back in it's bag with some lavender for good luck and placed it in the little fiber tub. No way would I attempt to spin it until I'm a better spinner (although today I did actually spin a bit of actually consistent yarn!).

Then tonight the phone rang. It was my friend Leava saying that she and her hubby had gone to their cabin for the day and she brought back her old wheel and I get to use it this winter! She said it's a bit tricky, or eccentric, and she'll teach me first on her Louet so I'll have a better idea of what's supposed to happen.

So, although I'm going to take a big hit on my wallet, I've gained fiber and a chance to spin on a wheel. I think it's a balance..or at least close. And I'm smiling.

20 Years

2008-10-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

As I arrived at work yesterday, in the midst of folks trying to get clocked in and ringing phones, etc, my boss said something to me and hugged me. Whaaat the? I didn't really hear what she said (or wasn't paying attention) and at first I thought something horrible must have happened that I didn't know about and she was trying to console me. But she was smiling. Hmmm... After answering a few more calls and getting things unlocked she said, "So how does it feel?" I had no idea what she was talking about...and figured that I was supposed to know all about it. Senility setting in so rapidly? Finally I realized that it was my anniversary date. The day I first hired on ... 20 years ago! About that time another boss person came in and handed me this basket. And there was even yummy cake.

Ohhhhhh that cake was so good! And Starbucks coffee! I've never had any of it for home. And this morning, when I went into my kitchen I pretended I was at a neighborhood coffee shop in my pretend metro neighborhood.

20 years...wow that's a really long time. A lot of things have changed since then. Some gains, some losses and not only in weight. I'm not who I was then, and sometimes I miss that person...mainly I miss the strength and agility I had back then. Really though, life is better now. Cause 20 years ago I couldn't knit! And I didn't know all y'all. Yep...I think I'll stick with the present. How about you?

CSI in the Neighborhood

2008-10-12T14:44:00.000-07:00

This is REALLY a Sunday post. I awakened at 5:30 this morning with a cat meowing very loudly in my ear and lights flashing through my windows. And when I peered out the door, I saw 8 police cars with their lights flashing and crime scene tape strung out everywhere but especially around my next door neighbor's front yard. An officer assured me that they were ok, but that "a gentleman driving the pickup parked in front of their house was dead". And that's all he would tell me. other than that the ME had been called and that the victim had already been put in the funeral home limo.
I guess I was supposed to go back inside but instead I sat on my porch swing in my tshirt and pj pants and watched everyone. I found out later from my neighbor that they had been there since at least 3:30 AM. Most of the officers seemed to be just walking around and talking quietly but there was a small group of people wearing chinos and long sleeved tshirts with POLICE in large very bright letters down the sleeves and across their backs. I've never seen anyone in this sort of uniform here in town. There was a young looking woman writing a lot of a tablet and looking in the truck. Dummy me thought perhaps they were police cadets who would get regular uniforms once they completed training.

So, because I just kept thinking about them, I called the police dept on the non-emergency line this afternoon and asked about them. The person who answered the phone said they weren't our police and where and when had I seen them. I gave her my address and the time and she told me they were OSBI people. So they called in the state criminalists, and maybe someday I'll actually know what happened.

Several years ago, a lady down at the end of the block was having a bunch of work done in her yard and also had a new driveway poured. There was yellow caution tape across the front of it. At that time, I went out and walked every morning with a friend and she asked me about the tape. I told her about the driveway and we went on about our business. Later as I left for work, I realized that the caution tape had been replaced by crime scene tape and there was a police officer sitting in his vehicle outside. I stopped to talk to him and he told me that she had been murdered. One of my coworkers was married to a cop and she thought it was hysterical that I knew nothing about it. Apparently it had been discovered just as it got dark and they'd set up big halogen lights so they could see to investigate and they lit up most of the block. At least this time, I did notice something was going on.

And tonight, I'll try to remember to check and make sure the door is closed before I go to bed.

Fiber Fun

2008-10-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Edited to add: I wrote this yesterday evening and then just crashed before I thought to push PUBLISH

Friday afternoon and evening and all day yesterday was spent in the company of other fiber lovers. Spinners. Knitters. Crocheters. Weavers. Rug Hookers. Basket Weavers. And a mixture of all the above. What fun!

And I have a new spindle via eMail sort of. One of the dealers wasn't going to be there so she sent it on approval. It's an Ashford and I love it. And, I can spin! Rather thick yarn but most of the time it's at least sort of the same diameter. And that's thanks to someone named Megan Lacore who posted a video of the park and draft method on You Tube.

I took fiber that I already had, but also came home with several ounces of various types of wool. There was a talk on these various breeds but much of it got lost in my brain so I'm going to look each one of them up on the internet and print out the info so when I'm using it, I can know more about what I have in my hands.

I also got to use hand cards..I love doing that! And finally got to see someone use a diz. How cool is that thing? Amazing that the fiber just sitting there in those combs would turn itself into some roving after going through the diz. I watched one friend just spin away without even having roving. Just spinning from the little wads of fiber. I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon! And I learned how to do locker hooking using roving. Wow what a rug you could make!

And there was lots of eating and talking and talking and laughing and eating and talking. I'm exhausted! I think being sociable is just exhausting.

The Real Me??

2008-10-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this test over at Sara's and just had to try it. I'm not sure if I like the results. Although, some of them are almost uncomfortably true. Take your pick. /shrugs

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

* Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.

* Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.

* Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.

* Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.

* Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

* my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level

* my ability to establish warm connections with people

* admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life

* my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor

* being unique and being seen as unique by others

* having aesthetic sensibilities

* being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

* experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair

* feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved

* feeling guilty when I disappoint people

* feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me

* expecting too much from myself and life

* fearing being abandoned

* obsessing over resentments

* longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

* have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games

* are very sensitive

* feel that they don't fit in

* believe they are missing something that other people have

* attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.

* become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood

* feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

* help their children become who they really are

* support their children's creativity and originality

* are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings

* are sometimes overly critical or overly protective

* are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Meet Della

2008-10-06T04:41:00.001-07:00

No, Della is not this kitty visitor although kitty is quite pretty. And NOT mine. Just one of the kitties who come to visit me. Fortunately, he/she seems to be well fed and healthy so I think kitty must belong to a neighbor.

This is Della. My new-to-me clothes dryer. The real life Della was a hard scrabble lady who, by necessity, clawed her way through life but always had time for a gawky girl. Hopefully this Della will be the same. It's been a long time since a dryer lived here. And wonder of wonders, the city water was clean enough to actually do ALL the laundry at home. So I start this Monday with a pouch still full of quarters and clean underwear. What a concept!

There has been knitting going on. I had to totally rip out the big section of the blanket as somewhere near the the first miter I added a stitch. But it is reknit now and folded up neatly in the drawer. Now I have to get more yarn. There are two unrelated socks on needles as well as two that are related but not much to show yet. More about them maybe this evening.

Last week was a total bitch and I was so glad that I had my yarn to come home to and spend time with..and there are two prepositions hanging in space. Sometimes life is so not fair. But, knit on!

So, what's up with you?

October

2008-10-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

started out as a major bitch! I came home from work soooo angry. But seeing this tempered the anger and by the time I went to bed I was feeling much better and singing too! Thanks Ann and Kay! Y'all are too much!!!!!

Some Don't Like Mondays

2008-09-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

And I can sympathize. After a very good weekend full of housekeeping, and knitting, and football and visiting with friends, it's very hard to get excited about going to work. However, considering the alternative, I'll just go in with a smile on my face and be thankful that I can continue to earn my living. There are cats and a dog to feed, and me too. And yarn that hasn't been purchased yet. So...off I go. Hope your day goes extremely well!

I'm a Winner!

2008-09-17T05:03:00.000-07:00

Knitty Otter had a contest.
E I E I O
And in the contest I got second
E I E I O
With sock yarn here
And sock yarn there
Fun book
Chewing gum
Chocolate, chocolate everywhere
Knitty Otter had a contest
E I E I O

Go over and see what I won because the pictures I took really, really suck! Yummy sock yarn that I've never seen before and have been cuddling with. And a really fun book...except I think I wore some of those items. Makes me wonder what future generations will think of some of the things that are designed now.

So now that I have the yarn for the Lady Sweater, and softball sock on the needle, it's time to show progress. 'cept there hasn't been any. Softball was rained out and/or games have been out of town. They start so early that unless they are here, I can't get to them in time to watch. Lady Sweater? Not even a swatch.

But I have been knitting. Last summer I bought a bunch of Rowan Spray during Webs' Summer sale even though I had no idea what it would be like. Somehow it just called my name and it was at a price (then) I could afford. One morning while eating Cheerios, I decided it should be a afghan. EZ's garter stitch. Oh it's mostly mindless but my gosh, it surely makes my hands hurt. Size 15 needles in hands used to maybe sometimes using an 8 is a new adventure. I've been knitting like a mad dog because I don't think I have quite enough and I need to see how much more I need to buy. My plan is to knit two of the pieces. Count balls of yarn used and then check the rest of the stash. Since it's supposed to be handwashed or dry cleaned I'm thinking that it probably isn't the smartest thing I've ever done. No way could it be hand washed! But hopefully any hair balls will clean up well by spot cleaning. Cause you KNOW as soon as it's done and blocked, somebody will grace it with a gift!

Here's a sucky pic of it so far.

And no, I don't have a yellow floor.

And here's a better pic of the yarn.

And now I have to go hop in the tub and get dressed because today I'M GOING TO THE STATE FAIR! Getting all ready for sheep, and cinnamon rolls, and goats, and gyros, and cows, and funnel cake, and quilting, and corn dogs, and knitting and candy apples, and spinning, and ferris wheels and and and. Actually I don't think I can eat all that but gyro and funnel cake are definitely on the list.

See ya laters!

Softball Sky

2008-09-09T14:46:00.000-07:00

It was a very drizzly evening as the girls headed out on the field. Gray,overcast and wet.

But later, if you looked west you saw this

And, if you looked east you saw this.

Double beauty and a real treat. Just think, all the folks inside watching tv probably missed it.

New Stuff

2008-09-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

After a week of extremely tiring work followed by extremely tiring evenings, I took Saturday off. Well, almost. I did the laundry first and got some groceries, then hopped into the car and went to the City. Had lots of fun at the LYS, talking and laughing and buying yarn. Most fun was that I had a $20 coupon to turn in on the price. Yay! And there was a stop at Barnes and Noble and Michael's. And a futile stop at Best Buy.

Got home mid-afternoon just in time to watch the first (on tv that wasn't ppv)OU football game! Another yay! Even if I did doze off sitting up and was awakened when a cat climbed onto my shoulder.

Finally play time was over and I thought I'd do the ironing so I didn't have to do it today but bleh...the iron doesn't work anymore. And I love that iron! I think I might be able to fix it but not today. So another trip out to secure a new iron. How exciting is that? And, as another treat, I got a package of those watering balls. If they work, I'm going to get another pair. Some of my plants are rather awkward to water and this could be a lot easier and less potential for mess.

The yarn? Cascade 220 in a deep piney with a sort of blueish undertone for February Lady Sweater. I've never knit a sweater so this should be interesting. I bought yarn for a sweater this summer but I didn't get enough. Note to self...don't just guess at how much will be needed. Today after all the chores I ignored yesterday were done, I sat down to mark the pattern so that I'd not get mixed up on how many stitches were needed in any section. I got out my brand new fluorescent yellow highlighter and was going great guns when ooops...I forgot that it was printed on an inkjet printer and the highlighter smeared the numbers. So I'll print it out at work maybe on the laser. It's always something. :-)

But now it's time for more football..or maybe a nap. I am for sure a happy girl today.

Living Out of a Box

2008-09-01T06:28:00.000-07:00

Well, sorta. For the last two weeks, I've been putting all the books in the living room and bedroom in boxes and toting them down to the basement. I didn't realize how many there were or how heavy they were. I finally wore completely out so some of the knitting books and notebooks are in their boxes in the play room. All furniture was dragged out into other spaces and a deep cleaning began. Walls were washed (if I'd planned better, I would have painted) in anticipation of the great Labor Day/Rug Doctor weekend. Which would have been easier if I hadn't had to drag furniture from one room to another in the midst of it. But it's done. And I can paint later..maybe.

The box? Well here it is. Current knitting. The stripey sock is also known as Softball Sock since the only time I knit on it is at The Girl's games. And school ball just started. The gorgeous seagreen/blue yarn is a new acquisition. You can see it better here.

Totally yummy goodness from Jessie at A Piece of Vermont. Its 60%merino 30% Bamboo and 10% Nylon. Undoubtedly the most luxurious sock yarn I've ever had. So far, I have the ribbing done for one sock. After this weekend, my hands hurt too much to use my smaller needles. But just petting it occasionally makes me very happy

And next to it is the project getting the most time lately. A winter scarf that's easy on the hands and brain. Just what I need right now.

And a new magazine that arrived in the mail...and tucked inside it are bills that came the same day. Note to self: Pay bills before they get lost. And something from Netflix and the remotes.

Late yesterday I brought in a dresser that was in the play room to replace the non-functional cabinet model tv that used to be used as somewhere to put the little tv that works. It's now on the front porch waiting for bulky trash day. How redneck is my life?? Oh yeah, baby! This dresser will give me a lot of storage in there. Now to figure out what to do with the stuff that was in it. And the wall stuff needs to be moved. The clock will stay, but Gold Hill and sheep and Beatrix Potter have to find a new space.

Much to do. But today is Labor Day! It's, for me, ranks right up there with Christmas. The winter holiday will always be beloved if only for all the sparkle and twinkle it adds to life. But Labor Day...it's about ME and YOU and all the others that work for a living.

And it will be celebrated on the loveseat with my feet up. And it will include lots of hopes of good fortune for those affected by Gustav. Hang on Terri! And the scarf will grow a bit. And email will get answered. And maybe...err..probably a nap.

One Sock, Two Socks

2008-08-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Green Socks, New Socks

Just getting a picture took awhile since my boy Hershey felt it necessary to rub his face all over them first. I'm not sure if he was staking a claim on my feet or the wool :-)

Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt from Interweave's Favorite Socks (25 Timeless Designs)

Yarn: Knitpicks Bare fingering weight dyed with lots of Green Apple Kool Aid.

Needles: Well used Crystal Palace Bamboo Size 2.

Cheats...Well ok, so I did a regular long tail cast-on. I haven't quite figured out the tubular that Ms.Schmidt uses.

Loads of fun to knit and I love the way they turned out. Thank Ms. Schmidt and Interweave!

Next up? Not sure. I need to make the 2nd Pride Sock mainly so all those balls of yarn can be put up. But I'd kind of like to try my hand at the STR Monkey or perhaps a scarf. Or..maybe all of them at the same time. Nah...that's probably not a great idea.

A Colorful Gift

2008-08-06T05:09:00.000-07:00

And it didn't come in the mail, or for that matter, from a person. I have a crystal hanging in one of the west living room windows. Usually as the sun moves over that way, it makes patterns on the floor or sometimes on living room walls. But yesterday, when I came home from work and walked into the dark dining room, I saw this playing in the corner.

I decided it was there to give me hope for whatever. There are always surprises and sometimes they are very nice. I hope today brings you a nice surprise

Too Damn Hot!

2008-08-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Someone I know and love is moving south and I'm thinking maybe that's what's causing this heat wave! I don't like summer and this just adds insult to injury. The weather man said it was 104 here (in the shade). But in my shade it looks like this.

Blogger won't let me upload pictures. So imagine a thermometer that says 110
And, in spite of watering every day, my tomatoes and zinnias look like this.

Imagine dead flowers and dead tomatoe plants

There are advantages though. Yesterday I had almost convinced myself that I 'needed' to drive over to the City to check out the 2 LYS and see if I could find something I could afford to make the February Lady Sweater. I have no idea if I could even do it having never knitted a sweater before, but I've read through the instructions a number to times and at the moment, I even think I understand them. So I got all excited and then I opened the door. It was like walking up to a blast furnace. I turned around and came back inside and decided that I'd rather get back in my jammies and knit on my sock. Oh look, there's almost a pair!

Imagine sock #2 about 3/4 of the way done.

I thought I would have them both done by now but got derailed last week with another corneal erosion. This one was different. Usually it hurts like hell (kinda like if you're in shorts and sitting on leather car seat on a hot day..when you get up it feels like all the skin on your thighs just left only this is in your eye); I go to the eye doc, she puts in a bandage contact and pain drops and shazamm it feels all better. Still have to deal with all the drops and stuff but usually in a day or so it's much better and I can get back to fun stuff. This time it wasn't as serious. No cells were lost just kinda banged up and the discomfort wasn't so bad. But the next day something was terribly wrong. I couldn't see worth a darn. If I closed that eye I could see kinda ok, but that eye's vision was like looking at something through moving water. There was no way I could focus. Apparently there was some swelling and since it was over my cornea it was kinda like a faceted something. I dunno. I just know it sucked. I discovered that if I patched it, at least I got rid of all the discordant visions, but my other eye surely got tired of doing all the work. If it hadn't been end-of-month I would have stayed home from work. All's well that ends well and now it's all fine and I just have to get caught up on missed blogs and emails and my 2nd sock.

It's 8:45 PM and I just let the dog out. It's basically dark out, and I checked the thermometer. Oh wow, it's cooling down. Now it's 107! But there is hope. There was a football game on tv last night!!! Woohoo, football once again approaches! There will be an autumn!

Fun, Fun, Fun!

2008-07-28T04:27:00.000-07:00

Oh I had just the best time at the Fiber Christmas in July thing! Got to see people I haven't seen since spring and meet new folks too. AND, I actually got to spin (badly but still) on two different wheels!

A lady had a Babe for sale (and I even could afford it) but she didn't really know much about it, so she took it and Kerri, Bruce and I to a vendor. The one this lady had was a single treadle and I just sucked. I was kinda scared because I thought I couldn't even do this. It wasn't the spinning...I expected that to suck. I just was so uncomfortable with the treadle. So she let us try a double treadle. Yayyyyy that was so much better for me. We played a bit there and went on to gawk at other things. Bruce was a real help. He asked a lot of umm.. mechanical type questions that I didn't even know. So we wandered around some more and then later on, I introduced Kerri to my friend Gwen. Gwen is an amazing spinner and we told her our tale of the Babe. She invited us to spin on her wheel but explained that she had purchased it for convenience of travel and didn't recommend it to a beginner because it was rather tempermental. (LOL I wrote down Gwen's Wheel but didn't write down it's name duh) I don't think Kerri enjoyed it much, but I sat down and just was immediately comfortable with it. Spinning still sucked but the treadling was great!
I was in love! She told us to try lots of wheels before choosing one and now we know of a vendor of various wheels in our area and she said we could come and play. Now...all I need is money!

It's awkward since there are things I NEED that require money and I feel somewhat guilty for even thinking of spending big bucks on a wheel. But, who knows, maybe someone will upgrade and decide to sell their used wheel.

At one point, I was sitting on the floor (all the vendors were INSIDE in an airconditioned building on the fairgrounds!) looking at a Schact Ladybug. Just kind of touching it and I noticed this woman kept giving me these 'looks'. Turns out she was in the process of buying it. Sorry! But it was a really cute wheel and I like that style rather than the more traditional looking ones.

I came home with a couple of brochures so I can gaze longingly :-) And I came home with this.

More fiber that I can't spin but gosh it's so beautiful. I had to just have a bit of it for inspiration!

It was all quite fun and maybe the best part was just enjoying being with Kerri and Bruce. What a fun couple! Kerri is a beginning knitter now thanks to the trip up and back and has plans for a baby blanket! It will probably be gorgeous. She catches on to everything so fast. Sucks that she's already spun and plied two skeins of yarn from her drop spindle :-0 !

So it was a day of lots of fiber, lots of fun, lots of giggles and grins. Can't beat it!

Hurry Up Weekend!

2008-07-24T19:08:00.000-07:00

What a week this has been. A person in my circle died Monday evening. I wasn't extremely close to him but he was extremely close and related to good friends. A young man so doubly difficult. So it's been a week of getting food, plants and paper products arranged/delivered. I don't know how it is in other places, but here death and funerals are about FOOD and lots of it. The grieving friends and family become sort of a reunion. Lots of stories and tears and laughter.

And, in the midst of it, The Boy turned 18. I was pleased that everything sort of went on hold so that he could have a really good birthday in spite of everything else. And that involved food too. Really good unhealthy chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes with white or brown gravy, green beans with bacon, homemade ice cream and of course, birthday cake!

And if that wasn't enough food, a rep brought lunch to work...bbq brisket, baked beans etc. My diet has not been the greatest but it all really tastes good.

The funeral is tomorrow, and besides going to work and a funeral, I need to get a ton more food over there for the family. Lots of people contributing...I'm NOT a cook. I primarily transport stuff and provide paper stuff. Paper plates, napkins, toilet paper...hey there are a lot of extra folks at my friend's home!

But it hasn't been totally fiber free. I did dye some yarn some night (I can't even remember when, but long enough ago that it's dry. I call it watermelon yarn. Base is Paton's Classic Wool that was napping in my stash. It's a gift for my friend Kerri who says she likes bright colors. It's not quite this garish in natural light, but by the time I got home this evening it was dark outside. It reminds me of watermelon.

I hope she likes it. On Saturday bright and early I'm tagging along with her and the hubby and heading to the northeastern part of the state for a Fiber Christmas in July affair. I've never been before, nor has she, so there will be two of us gawking at all the fiber and wheels and animals. She wants to learn to knit (she's a crocheter now) and hopefully I can teach her at least a long tail cast on, and knit and purl. Hopefully she won't need help counting. I'm going to give her my stitch and bitch book for some backup.

I am soooooooooo excited about this adventure. Fiber and friends. What fun. And just two more sleeps until it all comes about!

Ready for Toes

2008-07-22T04:21:00.000-07:00

Actually a couple rows into the toe, but alas I have to do some tinking. My count is already off. It was the dreaded 9 PM curse. I usually go to bed between 9 and 10..closer to 10. And I've discovered that once 9 PM arrives, I get in the 'one more row' mode..and hurry. And then I make mistakes. So I'm trying to not knit after 9. But gee, the toe! It's not a regular sort of toe and I was excited to see how it happens. And now after 4 rows, I'm off count on one needle. Hopefully I'll have time this morning to tink it back.

Want to see? Here ya go.

I am still just loving this pattern! I think it's very pretty and it's fun to do and I can DO it.

Where Did the Weekend Go?

2008-07-21T04:46:00.001-07:00

Boy, that went way too fast. Maybe it was those naps that make me think I fell into an alternate time zone! It was just HOT. So the only outside stuff that got done was a wee bit of weeding at 6 AM yesterday morning.

Zoey seems to be just fine. Gave her a buzz cut yesterday morning and she's quit looking like she might melt. I don't think I need to quit my day job and take up dog grooming though ::shrug::

And the sock continues to grow and I continue to love knitting it. Now that I'm on the foot it just speeds along since the pattern is only on two needles. I did take an update pic before bed last night. But I guess my mind was on sleep instead of photographing because it was all crooked on my foot and you can't really see the pattern. Not only should I not knit after 9, but take photos too, I guess.

Hope your weekend was great and your week even better!

Whew!

2008-07-18T05:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those use-it-or-lose-it vacation days. Preplanned for about umm 48 hours. And, indeed I did have plans. So it was up at the usual time 0500; laundry was washed; and after my cereal off to the laundromat. By 0900 I was back at home with clean clothes/linens etc and had done the grocery shopping. The grocery was having a sale and KoolAid was 12 for $1 so I stocked up for dyeing fun.

Did a bit of ironing and then sat down to make a list because I was going to the City! Was going to go to the yarn store and show off the handspun that Josette sent me and hopefully get some ideas on something cool to knit with it. And to Barnes and Noble and out for a late lunch.

So I'm making this list, and my dog Zoey starts making some weird thumping sounds. Sort of like if she scratches her ear and her foot hits the floor. She was on the other side of the table so I leaned around to see what she was doing and it looked like she was scooting her butt.

"Hey! Don't do that, let's go outside!" That's when I realized what she was trying to do was stand up. She'd been sleeping soundly for awhile and I know sometimes after a good night's sleep bodies can get rather creaky. I went over and helped her up only to catch her as she fell over to the left. She's looking at me like HELP. I rubbed her left leg and hip a bit. No owies noted but she just couldn't stand. I called the vet and scooped her up and off we went. Carrying her big self down the steps was a trick but she was very quiet and not trying to get down so that helped.

By the time we got out there she could stand for a second or two..thank goodness he helped me get her on the table. He wiggled everything still no owies noted. She had a bit of a temp and let him know what she thought about rectal temps by pooping on the table (NOT something she would normally do). He suggested that I leave her for a bit and I agreed.

Well, that cancelled any plans to go to the City. It was not that I could do anything by staying home, but I just wanted to stay close in case I was needed. So back home. I tried knitting on my sock but I was too antsy to settle. So I did some house stuff and tended to some paperwork. Finally he called me about 3 and said she had just been sleeping but was now up and moving a bit in her big cage and told me to come out about 5:30. Left me enough time to run to the next town where I got a birthday card for The Boy (it had to be one that 'sings') and found a new issue of Simply Knitting.

Went to pick her up and she just seems fine! He has me giving her an NSAID twice a day as he's thinking it is related to some disk problems. We shall see. I think it looked more like a TIA. Although those usually affect a whole side instead of just one extremity.

Finally got supper done and cleaned up and just sat down to knit when the doorbell rang. It was The Girl and her sister with good news. It seems that Dad may not have to go to Iraq after all. :::crossing fingers and toes::: And by the time they left it was bedtime. Maybe knitting tonight.

Show Off!

2008-07-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

New things to show you. Finally I have completed, if not a sock, then a sock top. And, sometimes I had to count past 4. I have had such fun with this pattern. My gnat-like attention span is happy because every row is a bit different but not difficult. This may actually become a pair! The yarn is some Knitpicks Bare that I dyed awhile back. It was going to become another pair of Monkeys but apparently I got distracted or something. I stumbled upon the yarn again one evening and thought that the following morning I'd look out the pattern.

But that night, I dreamed I was wearing a pair of handknit socks, and knitting another pair. Specific socks, but I didn't know what they were. They weren't in my printed out patterns. And I'm not skilled enough to imagine up something like them. I was on my way out the door to go to work when I had a thought. I dashed back in and pulled Favorite Socks (Interweave) off the shelf and there they were! Embossed Leaves socks by Mona Schmidt. I'm quite pleased since I've followed a chart! First time for stitches.

But heh, I don't think I'll be knitting the ones I dreamed I was knitting anytime soon. A bit past my skill level I think. :-)

The other goodies in the picture arrived in the mail this week. A surprise gift for no reason from my friend Ann who's not blogging right now I guess. There's a kitty cat magnetic book marker. (No worries about it falling out!) And some adorable tiny rubber duckie magnets. And a magnet that says "Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is". And the adorable card says "Success consists of getting up once oftener than you fall down". I loved each of them. But today, I became aware of some things at work which might mean I need to hang on tightly to them and memorize them. Good timing, Ann girl!

And now to go start a heel.

Getting To Know Me

2008-07-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Maybe you really don't want to..'tis your choice. I'm not vain enough to think you've been waiting a long time for this post. Actually, it's so I'll stand a chance at winning a prize over at Knitty Otter's.

Getting to Know you Contest Questionnaire:

1.) How long have you been knitting?
Since sometime in 2005. I was way late coming to knitting. Not because I didn't want to knit, but because I couldn't figure it out from books and knew nobody that knitted. Finally a yarn store opened in the City and I took your basic knitting class. Still have my first swatch too!

2.) How long have you been knitting socks?
I think since the spring of 2006. It was after I started the blog..that's all I know. And I was sooooooooooo proud of them!

3.) What do you do with a problem like Maria?
Help her and Tony get out of Manhattan!

4.) What is your all time favorite sock yarn?
Cabin Cove or Regia. A lot of people don't like Regia apparently but it's been good to me. I've used a lot of Knitpicks dye-it-yourself too. I haven't used very many different ones. I have some yummy Cherry Tree that I need to find just the right pattern for, and I want to try some of that Dream in Color sock yarn. Have you used it? Such delicious colors!

5.) Toe Up or Cuff Down?
Cuff down. I keep saying I will learn toe up but I just can't quite get there from here.

6.) What's your favorite color (this week or for all time)? Do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?

This week it's teal and chocolate. Not that I have anything that color except for a little notebook. In summer I wear a lot of orange/pink/lime stuff. In winter I'm quite drab for some reason

7.) Do you have a pet(s)?
Oh yeah! A neurotic dog named Zoey, and 3 cats. Mary, who is 19 years old and demands respect and a street-bred Siamese Hershey, who's about 13 and my snuggliest kitty. And last, but not least, Mercy the calico helper cat. She likes to help a lot although she's really not too good at it.

8.) Babies: Oven Roasted or Barbecued?
bbq all the time!

9.) Besides socks what is your favorite type of thing to knit?
Mitts and mittens. My goal is to someday create a wonderful thumb!

10.) What's your favorite scent?
Vanilla and freshly mowed clover.

11.) What music are you really loving right now? Like a song or a band?
Today I'm listening to Dave Brubeck on Pandora.com

12.) How many pairs of socks have you hand knit?
About 10, I think.

13.) What's your favorite treat? Salty or Sweet?
how about both? Ice cream, chocolate syrup, and nuts sprinkled on top.

14.) What was the most interesting thing you smelled yesterday. Not good or bad necessarily, just the thing that stuck out most so that you actually took notice of it.
Let's just say the dog had an upset tummy and leave it at that.

15.) Needles - DPN's: Wooden, metal or plastic?
Crystal Palace bamboo. Love 'em!!!

16.) What is your favorite sock pattern that you've knit? What do you recommend?
Right now I'm knitting Mona Schmidt's Embossed Leaves socks from Interweave's Favorite Socks and I'm really loving them. I loved Monkey too. But most of my socks are ribbed tops.

17.) The last Question: If you were stuck on a deserted island who would you want with you, what knitting would you want with you and would you ever want to leave?

I would want my boy cat and some sort of MacGyver person there to build shelters and stuff. I would want all my dpns and a large assortment of yarn cause I have the attention span of a gnat. And yes, I'd want to leave cause I really hate hot weather and I'm thinking that's what you'd have.

So there you go. If you do this, be sure and let me know so I can come snoop :-)

I Was Going To Show Some Knitting..

2008-07-12T11:25:00.001-07:00

I've knitted off and on this week on a sock, with plans to show it's progress this morning. However, everytime I picked it up I noticed a glitch on the first row after the ribbing. Not a missed stitch that I could pick up. I'm not sure what it was but it was wrong. I told myself that it wasn't really all that obvious, and it wasn't really. But I couldn't live with it and all that knitting hit the frog pile leaving only the ribbing. Maybe tomorrow there will be some progress.

In the meantime, I'll show you something of great interest at work for the last couple of weeks. A bird (not sure what kind, maybe a barn swallow?) built a mud nest over the light outside our door.

All well and good, and occasionally we would hear a little peep. But apparently as the wee things grew and became more obvious, the parents decided we were going to hurt them so getting into the office became a game of dodge-bird. They didn't actually hit anyone, but they did make for an interesting entrance/exit. Nobody told on them so they just kept after us and we became quicker and more agile. Finally the little beggars apparently learned to fly and left home. And once more, going to work isn't very exciting.

Such a Good Weekend!

2008-07-06T14:48:00.000-07:00

This has been a very rewarding long weekend. The weather was beautiful. Hot, but not as muggy as it could have been.

It actually started Thursday evening. A last minute trip to the library got me books to read and this lovely flower from the librarian. I forgot what she said it was, and don't you love my vase. It's beauty was gone by morning but what a glamorous addition to my kitchen window for a while.

Ribs, burgers, and hot dogs off the grill and last night my good friend Jackie came by and brought me yellow squash from her garden and cold watermelon all cut up and ready to eat. Ohhhh it was so sweet. And fireworks (on tv..no mosquitos!)

And I kept myself quite happily entertained. I finished repotting the houseplants and they are all happily back in their places except for one. The Norfolk pine had to go up a size in pot and once it was all done, I discovered that it's too heavy for me to carry. So it's in a shady place on the patio. It's really too broad for my little house, so I'm sure it's happy spreading it's branches. This ivy was so twisted and tangled around it's support. And then I discovered that the support was actually broken off at soil level.

What to do? I rummaged around in the garage and chose an old fence picket; cut it off and put push pins in as guides and now it's much neater and it can spread out a bit in it's bigger pot.

I put supports around my baby tomato plants. They are volunteers that came up in the pot of zinnias and now have a home of their own. They are way off schedule since they didn't sprout until everyone else had big plants. But maybe by fall I'll have a tomato. And who knows what it will be since it won't be the same as the Romas of last year. A mystery!

There was more shrub trimming. I can't do it for long at a time, but each morning of this weekend, I've been out early and did a bit.

Inside, I dyed up some little pieces of an old canvas drop cloth for a project that's still sort of in the planning. I think it will need some adjustment as they shrunk a bit in the hot dye water. Once again, I didn't read until the end of the instructions on the dye packet and so once they were all in the dye water I discovered that I was supposed to have added salt. OK I did...just not how they had directed. And I'm thinking that contributed to the mottled effect. Which is just super because that's how I wanted it. I wadded up some of the pieces after they'd gotten wet and it made for some nice marks. But ye gods, it took a long time to get clear water when I rinsed them. Finally used some Synthrapol. That worked well and I think I'll try it on some yarn I dyed years ago that wants to rub off on everything. Can't use it the way it is, that's for sure.

There was lazy time spent reading while sprawled across the bed with the fan blowing on me. Note the goofy bookmark. It was an experiment to see if I could get sharp marks with a Sharpie on some more of the canvas. Uh nope. It tends to bleed out a bit. Will have to rethink another project. Maybe a paint pen?

Today is about washing the bedroom curtains and starting to sew a sundress with my new (as of December) sewing machine. I did get it threaded without much difficulty! Yay! Haven't quite managed anything other than straight stitching but it's a start. And oh my, it's so quiet!

And, of course, my new delicious yarn!

It's been such a good mix of friends and projects and getting things done and being lazy. I could really get used to this!

So, what did you do on this gift of a 3 day weekend?

Some Specs

2008-07-05T17:51:00.001-07:00

OK...before I wound it into a cake, I put the skein down on the table. Without stretching it, it measured 24 inches on a long side, but the sides were close together. I guess I should have used a tape measure intead of a yard stick and measured all around. And I counted 89 strands. So 89 x 48 inches? And that would be
4272 inches. Divide that by 36 and it would be about 118.666666666 etc yards. Well more, cause I didn't count the curves at the ends. Then I wound it into a very loose cake because it said it didn't want to be stretched. And then, I weighed it. Now that's probably not too accurate. I don't have a drug scale, only a kitchen scale that I got for a $1 at a garage sale but it says it weighs 4 oz. Is there another something I should do? How do you do wpi?

Lucky Me!

2008-07-05T17:05:00.003-07:00

Do y'all read the Farm Witch's blog? Or do you have any of her yarn or fiber? Well...I do! Awhile back she had a little giveaway and guess who got the prize. That's right..me! The picture of the yarn is at the bottom of that post and it's better than mine. I just couldn't quite get it all to show up right. But still, it's gorgeous. A wool/silk 50/50 single of pure orgasmic fiber. I've NEVER seen yarn this marvelous much less actually owned it.

She sent a card with it, and in it said that the reason it was delayed was because as she got ready to send it she noted that some loops were out of place which would have made it hard to wind so she rewound, washed and dried it again.

At first I thought I would just leave it in the skein and admire it, but I can't. I must wind it up in a cake just so the loveliness can go through my fingers and I can admire all the variations of color. Now to figure out something to knit with it. Any ideas?? I guess I should figure out the yardage, eh? But please, if you have any ideas tell me.

And Josette, you are one amazing lady!

Lucky Me!

2008-07-05T17:05:00.001-07:00

Somebody Make It STOP!

2008-07-04T18:11:00.001-07:00

Ironically, we find out today that The Girl's dad is going back to Iraq. Well, actually before he was in Afghanistan but still. So 4th of July hamburgers and hot dogs were eaten with a young girl with swollen eyes from crying and a dad trying to be really upbeat. It sucks. And I need to shut up before I get really snarky and political.

June went Poof...

2008-07-02T05:52:00.000-07:00

and so did my last post. I came to edit something and it's gone! No wonder nobody commented. And now it's time to go to work. But not to worry, it wasn't particularly profound :-)

Ten on Tuesday and a Treat

2008-06-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

I don't know how to get the Ten on Tuesday logo thingy. Was I supposed to sign up?
But this week's is Ten Inventions That Have Made Life Easier.

Here's mine in no particular order.

1. Automatic transmissions. Oh yeah I loved my stick shift vehicles, especially my VW bug. But time passes, and I'm glad I can just sit and drive without calisthenics.

2. Air Conditioning. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I don't like hot weather. Gone are the days when I thought it was fun to be outside baking my skin. Give me cool anytime. My carbon footprint could probably be smaller if I'd turn up the thermostat, but those footprints are cool.

3. Microwave..oh yeah baby! Nuke it for 2 minutes and dinner is ready. For gourmet, I might have to go 3 minutes.

4. Calculators. I remember my mama working on something called (I think) a comptometer. It took up almost half of our kitchen table. I really can add and subtract and multiply and divide, but it's truly nice to know I can do this on my calculator and it will be correct.

5. Sewing machines. Ever made a dress by hand?? It takes a really really really long time. So long that by the time you get it done, the event you were making it for is only a memory.

6. iPods. I still don't have one, but the idea of having all my music in one place is, to me amazing. And books too! And I just read this weekend that you can sort your music into catagories..so if you want to listen to what I call NY music, i.e Manhattan Transfer and such, you can choose that 'folder'. I did discover an internet radio station this weekend where you can type in an Artist and they analyze the music they produce..i.e, close harmony, intricate arrangements and play a bunch of other stuff that fits. I love it! But ummm...I didn't bookmark it and can't remember what it's called. Sorry.

EDITED TO ADD the station is called Pandora.com Thanks Katya!!

7. Oxygen concentrators. Used to be people on oxygen were tethered to giant tanks. Now there are contraptions that could fit in a messenger bag that sort through the air around us and produce oxygen so that you can go and do and still breathe. Makes going and doing possible for a lot of folks.

8. Digital cameras. I love mine and lust after newer, smaller ones. No more totally missed pictures cause now I know if it didn't work and can try again.

9. Tshirts. Although I love to iron (I know..I'm weird) I really am glad I can have something so comfy to wear with such little maintenance. I do press the ones I wear to work because I don't dry them in the dryer, but that takes a lot less time than ironing a shirt.

10. And of course, the internet. Without which, I wouldn't even know you and I probably wouldn't know how to knit either and what a bad day that would be.

Now...for the treat. This came in some email list. It makes me wish I could count to ohhhh...maybe 10, and could have become a scientist so I could see this in real life!
Magnetic Movie

Good Grief!

2008-06-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize it had been that long since I last posted. I wish I could tell you I'd been off on a fabulous vacation to England or Colorado or..anywhere, but alas I've been right here just bumbling around in my usual manner. Things have been accomplished thought. Two closets are neat and tidy. All the stuff in the china cabinet has been washed or dusted (none of which is china..I don't have any of that). A sundress/housedress has been cut out..interfacing fused but nary a stitch. The storm door has been transformed into a redneck piece of art with the assistance of a roll of screen and a lot of duct tape. But hey, I can now let the morning and evening breezes in without all the bugs.

I did finish a house sock today. I kinda screwed it up. The little diamonds were to start higher on the top of the foot. However, I made the flap longer than directed and it fits great. I got so busy doing the gusset I forgot about the diamonds.

Pattern: ROY G. BiV but I call it my PRIDE sock. (Sorry...but I can't get the link to work even though it's still there. If interested, go to knittingincolor.blogspot.com and look in the side bar. It's a fun knit.
Yarn: Cascade 220 charcoal and lots of odds and ends
Needles: #4 bamboo dpns for top and #5 for bottom (all that stranding takes up space and it was too snug

Now I just have to make another one. I'm tempted to do something different on the foot part..maybe stripes. After all, if I wore them with boots nobody would ever know they were different and I need to work on jogless stripes.

And more color. Flowers everywhere

Lantana

Yarrow

Zinnia (with a volunteer tomato plant growing in the pot with the flowers)

Tiger Lily

FO and Uh Oh

2008-06-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

Finally a FO to show! Two Weeknights with Warrick is finished, bathed, blocked and in the drawer. It was only the second time I've knitted with Noro Kureyon. The first time being a Booga Bag so I wasn't sure how it worked as non-felted. Rather coarse feeling around my neck, but a nice soak helped a lot. Fun pattern once I learned to count to four and I always love watching color changes.

Pattern: Two Weeknights with Warrick
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Color 212 (from stash..I have no idea what I got it for
originally
Needles: Crystal Palace Dpns size...I forgot...with those rubber stopper things on
the ends to turn them into straights.
Time Spent: Random bits of evenings, once I learned to count. Probably a week all in
all.

Does this count as lace? It's worsted, but it has holes. ???

And now for the uh oh. It's been extremely windy this week on the prairie. Today as I crossed the parking lot after going after the mail, my glasses blew off. Hard to stand up after you come from behind a building. I heard once today that they were blowing 50 mph. Now there are storms west of here that have 75 mph winds. I hope that the 3 little pigs that built this house really knew what they were doing. But it started early in the week. When I came home from work on Tuesday, I found this. It's the remains of the top part of my storm door..and the screen on the bottom. See that black thing up against the wall of the house that looks like a little bar? That's off the bottom of my mail box. One of two hooks that are designed to hold magazines and such. I think that's what tore the screen. The door still shuts, but the middle supports are bent so I guess a new storm door is added to "the list".

And it's amazing how much difference the lack of that glass makes as far as sounds being heard inside the house. I kept hearing this "knocking". Not a big knock. More like a kid-sized knock. And then when I got to the door nobody was there. It took me awhile to figure out what it was. (But not as long as it took me to learn to count to 4). Here's the culprit.

Yes, I know Christmas was long ago. But remember, I didn't want to take the tree down and obviously I chose to ignore this. Or...maybe I was hoping my plea to Mother Nature would be heard and summer would stop before it started. Oh well, it's inside now and will be put away.

But there is still this..hope springs eternal.

And now there is a "super cell" moving into my general area so I have to go pay attention to the tv weather. Hail, big winds, torrential rains, but no snow :-(

Good Luck, Bad Luck

2008-06-02T04:11:00.000-07:00

That's what Friday was about. I had a cardio appointment in the City and it's a given that I take the whole day off to do it. (I got med samples yea! And he wasn't nearly as concerned as my PCP is about my leg swelling. He thinks most likely it's related to crashing it on the step back in April) I love going to see him. He seems to be one of those docs that you either love or hate and with me it's the former. Usually these days turn into mega shopping days since I'm very close to lots of choices. But I was good. I bought one ball of pearl cotton and a magazine. And yummo lunch at Cheeseburgers in Paradise. I could only eat half of my cheeseburger but the fries were history. And yes, my doc said that was fine...only not every day! On the way out of the City I stopped and got a big cup of iced chai latte at Panera Bread and headed back west. One more stop and I would be home for a long afternoon. I stopped in Yukon..a town about 10 miles east of me to pick up some stuff at the drugstore and then made a decision to skip the interstate and come home on Route 66 so I could enjoy my drink and look at cows and barns and such.

I'd just got into my city limits when I heard this really loud noise. It was the right rear tire which had just sorta disintegrated. I was barely off the pavement and pulled up a bit further at which time it just basically fell off the rim! Bad news!! And it was one of my 'good' tires. But good news..I wasn't stranded on the interstate! Fortunately I found a friend that was home. Long gone are the days when I could change a tire by myself. He got the spare on and I limped to W*mart for a new tire. Bad news! Jeez! Tires are expensive. Even the low end of the scale. But since there is no public transit here, quite necessary. Good news! I just got paid!So, with Lily waiting in line, I proceeded to do the grocery shopping for the week.
Bad news! Everything just keeps getting more expensive. Good news! I didn't need a lot. Finally after standing in the tire center for what seemed ages, I was ready to go home. I was exhausted! I was soooo glad to see my little home.

But all of this saga pales into comparison when I think of Mama Squid's day! Shewweeee! See I was right. NYC IS all about YOU!

Saturday, I ended up dragging much of the stuff in the living room into the dining room and shampooing the carpet. I can't say that it's perfectly clean but it's a lot cleaner than it was that's for sure. I managed to block the computer so I didn't have that to get lost in. I didn't take out the big bookcases or the old cabinet tv that holds my little portable. Or the love seat, as I can scoot it around. And ya just need to sit down sometimes! But everything else was out including the cedar chest that serves as my coffee table. The little bookcases. The bead bookcase. The knitting baskets etc and the two chairs.

I put my current knitting (a scarf), the tv and dvd remotes, and the book I was reading into a little sqaure box and set it up on the dvd player.

You know, I rather liked the emptiness. Maybe because it's summer and in summer things need to be lighter. Later that night, as I got ready to go to bed it took all of 5 minutes to clear my space. Fold up the wooden tv tray that had held my drink. Knitting and remotes into box. Glass to kitchen sink. The end! No random pencils, piles of magazines or patterns that needed to be put away. Since the dining room was still all piled up with stuff, I tried not to look at that. :-)

Yesterday was all about putting things back and doing laundry and watching movies. And now finally I can get to the computer without trying to read/type standing up.
All's well that ends well. And it would really be 'well' if I could find the paperwork to my new tire. I still have hope. I didn't find my regular set of car keys until bedtime last night. I'm not sure why I used them (apparently) as a bookmark in a library book that I finished last Wed. /shrug!

Good Times

2008-05-27T05:11:00.000-07:00

Oh this was just the BEST weekend. I'm thinking I really like having 3 days off in a row. 7 would be better, but I'd settle for 3. Got the routine stuff out of the way on Saturday and then it was 2 days of whatever.

Had a great meal of smoked ribs, turkey and/or brisket with all the side stuff. Corn on the cob..YUM! Watched movies, read, oh and I took down the curtains in the living room and got them all washed up and new plastic on the windows. Ordered some of the new Lion Brand sock yarn. Ordered some Cascade 220 on the last day of the Webs sale.

Cleaned out two craft drawers. Amazing how much dried up glitter glue there was! When The Girl was younger and down here a lot to play, we always ended up glueing something. So I bought practically grosses of glue sticks and glitter glue. Alas, those days are over I think. If they don't dry out, I still have enough glue sticks to last me for life.

And there was some knitting. I would say under the supervision of two cats but they seemed more intent on napping.

Cheeseburger Blues

2008-05-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today I heard part of a discussion on tv about "What would you do if you only had two days to live". Well, probably not a lot. I mean I'd be sure and say good bye to everyone, and try to figure out who was going to take care of my pets. But honestly, unless you were scheduled for execution or something you'd probably be too sick to do much. And I'm not planning on execution anytime soon.

However, I did have a couple of thoughts. If I were told that death was going to happen relatively soon, there were a couple of things I'd do. I'd buy a pack of cigarettes, and maybe some good weed although it's been so very long since I've indulged that would probably send me over the edge. And I would have a cheeseburger and french fries with plenty of salt. This healthy eating isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Tonight by the time I got out of Tai Chi, I was starving. Oh what the heck, I'll just treat myself to a Sonic meal. Feeling quite decadent, I ordered it and a big Coke and headed home to eat this marvelous meal. But ewwww...there was grease (duh)....and a lot of salt and ewwwww...I didn't even want to share it with the dog. I'm not faulting Sonic. I'm just saying that I've already gotten used to some of this new way of eating. I was disappointed and still hungry but a bowl of Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats took care of the hunger. Maybe cigarettes and weed would be the same. Is this what growing old is about. Thank goodness for chocolate! Oh yeah, and I do know that pizza still tastes quite good to me. But only the plain cheese. That pepperoni was just too much.

I'm wondering if now, when I have dreams of good things to eat, it will consist of raw baby carrots and celery. :-(

Paying with Cash

2008-05-22T04:08:00.001-07:00

First of all, I love, love, love my debit card. Initially I had a bit of trouble remembering to record purchases in my check register but got that down now.

However, the weekend of Rendevous, I needed to be sure that I didn't overspend so I took cash. And even managed to come home with a bit left in my pocket. I don't spend much money during the week. An occasional fast food lunch or extra milk between grocery shopping. So the debit card slept.

And then last mid-week I got a letter in the mail from the bank. They were installing a new computer system over the weekend and the debit card would be in time out. I could write checks, but here the stores mostly just use it like a debit card and hand it back to you. What was a bit disturbing was that the last time a deposit would be recorded would be on Thursday....and my pay check would be there on Friday. Oops.

Fortunately I try to stay one pay period ahead on bills so that wasn't a worry. So what I basically had to work with was a cafeteria check.

I cashed it and here's where the fun started. I'm not sure how others are, but I almost always go to the store with a list. And come home with hopefully everything on it plus a number of things that weren't. I guess I'm a sucker for end caps and "action alley". But Saturday, I actually had to make sure that what I bought could be paid for with the cash in my pocket. So, no new magazines. No new tshirts. No new nail polish etc. I paid for the groceries..which consisted of only food this time. And there was cash left over.

This week I've been to the store once. And to Dollar Tree. I needed more milk, and I needed to get a gift bag and card for a wedding gift. Dollar Tree has the prettiest gift bags for a dollar. Much less than at W*lmart. And their cards are a lot less expensive and the one I chose was just beautiful and said all the right things. Oh..and it was only 50 cents.

And still I have a bit of cash in my pocket. Will have to get more before the weekend so I can pay the mower man.

And a nice bank balance since I was unable to order anything online over the weekend (a terrible habit...browsing etsy!)

I guess I really don't pay as much attention as I should to my outgoing money. It's so easy to think.."Well, it's only $5" But when it actually leaves your hand, it's much more noticeable.

Knitting? Well there has been some. And some frogging. And more knitting. And more frogging. Was it a difficult pattern? No. Was the yarn uncooperative? No. Do I occasionally read through a line of a pattern and somehow rewrite it in my head? Um yes. Does it work? No..not if you plan to actually create what's written. Finally after a long time of puzzling, I realized what I had done. Instead of repeating what it actually told me to repeat, I was trying to repeat it repeatedly. Got it figured out now. Stay tuned.

So, am I the only one that sometimes get carried away with the debit card? (I have to admit though that I've never been overdrawn and haven't used a real credit card in a long, long time. And someday, maybe when I'm 103, they'll be paid off.

And am I the only one that sometimes just totally manages to screw up one line of a pattern?

Anyone Watch Deadliest Catch

2008-05-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

last night??

Tai Chi was cancelled due to our instructor's son's graduation. So I came right home from work; made supper; ate and cleaned up. Changed clothes and settled down for a tv evening. NCIS first and then Deadliest Catch.

My back was kind of tight so I did some stretches and then some relaxation stuff and right in the midst of some meditation, I went to sleep. Missed both shows and woke up at 10 pm. Was up just long enough to wonder why I had dreamed of hogs dressed up like sheep. Oh, and had some water and washed my face and that was it until 5 AM. I guess I needed the sleep but I do wonder what happened to the boys.

A Not-So-Exciting Weekend

2008-05-19T04:35:00.000-07:00

And that was just fine with me! Work atmosphere was intense last week and it was so nice to just not have to think very much.

Of course, there was laundry. And ironing. There was also a doggie haircut. She doesn't look great but she is much cooler and it's getting HOT here. No fair. It's supposed to still be spring. Did I ever mention that I really dislike hot weather? Thank goodness for a/c. My bangs are shorter. Some flower seeds were planted in large pots. Hopefully someday there will be pictures of happy blooms.

The pantry is much more open since I pulled all the high sodium stuff off the shelves and it's now in the trunk of my vehicle ready to pass on to coworkers. Good bye chicken noodle soup. And tomato soup. And vegetable beef soup. And green beans and carrots. Actually about all that's left of canned goods is a couple of cans of fruit.

There was a trip to the post office to mail a package. And mail for me too!

There was this.

I blame it all on Olivia, my Nature Conservency orangutan. She insisted she needed a friend. And who am I to deny her? Especially since it involved yarn. And here you have my first ever Socks That Rock yarn! I've wanted some forever!

And no, I didn't cast on. I think I just want to hold it :-)

There was a trip to the library where I found 500 Low Sodium Recipes. It may mean that I can actually eat some things I like with adaptations. If I find that I like many of the recipes, I'll buy it. Yesterday I made "roast" from a little steak and some low sodium boullion and vegies and it's GOOD. Surprisingly so, since most of the bright ideas I've had over the last couple of weeks were rather tasteless.

I started on a de-clutter in the dining room which resulted in quite a bit of shredding (it's also where the computer and printer is and my bill paying station). I still have a ways to go but still..it's a start. The warmer it gets, the more I want everything in it's place (preferably where I can't see it)

Knitting nada. Sewing nada. I had great plans but somehow I shuttled them down farther on the list and curled up with a cozy murder mystery and a plate of grapes.
The only 'creative' thing I did was to make a cord with my little cardboard kumihumo thingy that I played with at the Fiber Rendevous. I think it would have worked much better if the braided stuff had been a single cord. But that's what I found to play with.

So there you go. A very low-key weekend. And now it's Monday. It's How Many Days to the weekend???

Still Here

2008-05-11T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed, although you wouldn't know it by my blogging. Let's just say that quitting caffeine almost cold turkey is a wearing experience. I knew about the headaches, I just didn't know about the general malaise and achiness. Odd, since I never felt caffeine really affected me that much but I do love the taste. Most evenings I would have my last cup of coffee just before bed, then went to sleep quickly and slept well. Ya live, ya learn.

This slothful week was bracketed by two good weekends. Last Saturday was Onion Fried Burger Day here.

35,000 (how DO they count?)people jammed the streets of our small downtown.
Car show. Lots of biker people. Various bands and vocalists. Crafty stuff. Vintage and classic cars. Ponies. Air brush tattoos. Lots of festival type food, and of course, onion-fried burgers. Our town is known for these and folks do make a special trip to eat them at other times of the year. Most times, at noon, it's about all you can smell downtown. Reportedly they began in the depression, when local burger cookers discovered that they could sell a hearty sandwich without so much meat. Making them more affordable. When I arrived her in the mid 50s they were 7 for $1.00! And I love 'em! The highlight of the day is when they cook this giant one that's got a diameter of 8 1/2 feet. I've never found a way to get a picture of it.

It gets bigger every year and I think that this one was way better than last year. The crafty stuff was more diverse and better although you can still purchase pretty pink fairy halo thingies.

My choice was this bowl. It's made of fir tree roots according to the man selling it. I had parked south of this area so walked through as I came, left to go find a friend, returned and left for good. Nice to wait till the last as I got a much better price on it.

After a day of festival, I then took part in a week of complete slothfulness both of body and brain. I managed to work but then crashed when I got home each night. Fortunately I already had scheduled Thursday and Friday off to get my vacation hours down so I managed to get the laundry done. Woohoo clean underwear. The house dusted and vacuumed and spent some money on fabric for new clothes. (no pic, I forgot)

Then yesterday was the Okie Fiber Rendevous. While I would love to go to one of those huge sheep and wool shows back east or in New Mexico, I look forward to this for months. The location was inside this year and I didn't get lost and look to bikers to be interested in wool LOL. A great site and loads of fun. I'd planned to take lots of pics, but kept forgetting as I'd get busy and talking or taking part in such things as kumihimo on a cardboard disc, or spindle spinning (still suck), visiting with people I don't get to see often enough and shopping of course. I got some felt..oops forgot to take a pic of that too. Some really fine white woolen cloth, a little rug hooking kit, and a gift that I can't show here. I totally missed out again on the henna work..someday that will happen.

I was trying to spin when the toe weaving started, but did get to watch for awhile. The little girl on the left of this picture was really really good.

And see the lady in green in this photo? She saw me taking the pic and started talking to me and invited me to sit down and visit while she spun. I'm sure I looked my very dumbest as I gazed in awe as she spun really fine lace weight yarn with what appeared to be little tufts of dandelion fuzz. Amazing!

While visiting with KatyaR, she showed me the kind of wheel she learned on. It's one of those PVC wheels, and she still has it. It's out on loan now, but when it comes back, she said she'd let me use it...and even show me how! How cool is that?? I googled and found Babe wheels online. Ya know, I could actually save up enough for one of those. More stuff to think about.

Met a new person and her hubster who were new to the whole fiber thing. They've been talking about geting some sheep (already have the farm) and saw a notice about the event in the paper. She is soooooooooo much fun! I watched her in the second spindle spinning group and man..she just took off and I'm thinking she went home with a really nice spindle. I found a little muslin sheep softie so got it and gave it to her so that she'd have a start on her herd (is that what you call a bunch of sheep?)

All and all a wonderful day. And, since gas prices went up again, I took some time to make a Petsmart run and a Michael's pit stop. My furbabies encourage me to get Cotton Ease (that maybe someday will become a sweater) for Mother's Day. Oh..and a quick stop by the a local LYS to pick up some needles that I need for the sweater. Why is it no matter how many needles I have, I never have the right ones :-) Or, is that an excuse?

And now special wishes for all the mothers. You know, it's not just ovaries that make a mother. And a special happy Mother's Day to all y'alls mothers. I'm sooo glad she had you!

Wildlife Update

2008-05-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is probably cheating. The following wildlife report is copied/pasted from an email. I just couldn't bear typing it all again! They are getting longer legged now and their faces are losing some of their roundness and being more pointy. Last night we came out from work, me and my two coworkers and as we turned the corner there they sat. Even the 3rd one (firt time I've seen it) It's smaller and more timid but those other two. God, I just want to touch them so bad. But I know that what needs to be done is to make them more afraid. But they aren't and really haven't ever been. Perhaps watchful, but ever so curious about this old woman and her friends. So there we are walking slowly and I'm saying "Get your butt back down that hole!" Don't you just sit there and look at me! Go on, get outta here!" in my most no nonsense voice. And they look at each other and I swear they just shrugged. Finally I sorta stomped my foot..pointed my finger and said NOW! and they hopped down into the tunnels under the sidewalk. And as we went by and then stepped into the parking lot I turned and saw a head pop up. Silly goofs! Their mama was very watchful across the street on the golf course. For years this area was just sort of a wild part of the park and the grass would grow tall so they had good cover. I really hated it when they decided it needed to be a golf course. I'm wondering where Dad is.

And if that wasn't enough wildlife news...this morning the dog was outside barking, barking and looking through the board fence into the driveway. I figured a cat was out there teasing her. But when I looked, it was a possum! I ran back in for my camera but when I got back all I saw was the end of it's tail as it went into the garage! Holy moly..pretty soon I'll prolly have possum babies! My garage is a freestanding frame structure with barn type doors. It's too little for my car now so I rarely go in there. But when I still had my Honda, I could carefully park it inside. For some reason the concrete driveway is really really wide, but stops about halfway to the garage. So repeated driving sorta made ruts so the bottom of the doors are somewhat straight but the ground underneath has concave areas from the tires. Just enough room for a possum to squeeze through. I really don't want a possum as my neighbor but it sure beats having a skunk.

There has been some knitting going on. Nothing really exciting. I guess you could term it a large swatch. I have this idea for a felted bag and I needed to see if the colors would fade onto the white. I felted for a bit this morning before work, but had to leave before it was right and tonight I have to do real laundry so I can dry it in the morning at the laundry before work. Something to look forward to on the weekend!

Lots of ideas running around in my head. I need to make a list before I forget half of them. Oh and hey! Only one more day till the weekend! Yay!

2008-04-29T17:43:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy day at work. Tai Chi and a quick trip to the library after that. A rather uninspired supper consisting of nuked leftover spagetti and some canned pears. Not a lot to blog about. So I followed Sara and took a test so I'd have something to post.

you are aquamarine
#7FFFD4

Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days.

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

What color are you?

I See You

2008-04-28T04:27:00.001-07:00

Still more kits. Last night The Girl came down and was looking at the pics of the kits in Picasa. I was playing the the "crop" feature and found a surprise. Here's the original pic.

And here's the crop.

And now the weekend is all over and it's back to earning my keep. What did you do this weekend??

Kits at Play...

2008-04-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

...and dinner but I'll spare you that.

Friday at 5 PM found our place of business empty except for me and the clinical coordinator. Everyone had been gone for at least 30 minutes and the parking lots had been quiet. So after punching out, I headed out for the weekend. My brain was already fixated on two days for me and as I rounded the corner I almost tripped over one of the kits. It scurried off the sidewalk and I got in the car and turned on my camera. While he/she (I haven't seen any boy things so I'm guessing a female.

So, while she was hiding I slid back out of the car and walked quietly over to the curb and sat down, camera at ready and aimed where I last saw her and her sib.

Click, click, click as fast as I could at nothing, but at last a head poked out. She looked at me. I was very still and probably 5 feet away and maybe she thought.."hmm old lady won't be fast..it's safe to come out". And up she popped. Sat for a minute and then started playing tug of war with the one still down under the sidewalk.

I keep clicking and half the time the sun makes it impossible to see the view screen thing. So, it was a lot of surprise (and a lot of pictures of the sidewalk when I uploaded them). I finally just sort of clicked and watched her play hoping that I was capturing some of it. I totally missed "dinner" until I cropped them on the computer.

There was nobody around, not even any traffic. But then a couple of cars slowed down and I really don't want a lot of folks to know they are there. I'm so scared someone will kill them. I can't say I stood up quickly..that's not possible. But I got to my feet after about 15 minutes and tried to make fierce noises and they hid again.

Babies at Work

2008-04-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

Well..not human babies, but still. Our facility is pretty much surrounded by park and a golf (bleh)course. We used to sit outside and watch foxes play before the golf course came into being.

But...apparently the fox doesn't care about all the fancy schmancy that the golf course would like to promote. And we hadn't seen any in a a really, really long time. However, in the last couple weeks, we've been seeing a rather thin female running around. We've all been worried about her. Now we know why she's a bit too thin.

Actually there are 3 but I only got pics of two of them. And sorry that they're sort of blurry..my zoom isn't too up to snuff. One of the nurses went back out by herself and one of them started coming towards her being all curious. She really wanted to see what would happen but was a bit intimidated by the mama so she gracefully came back into the building.

There's a road that divides us from the golf course. They were all over on our side..snooping in the drainage tiles. Mom told them to go with her back over to the golf course side. She went across the road but a car was coming and thank goodness! The kits just sat down on our side. Being children though, instead of going to mom when the coast was clear, they just looked like they were laughing as they ran up into the parking lot and then raced down the hill. I'm sure they got a good talking to once we went away and she got them under control again.

Toooo fun! And what a grand start to the day.

Done!

2008-04-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

After totally ripping the thumb back to the gusset and re-knitting the Bird in Hand mitt is done. I am soooooooooo proud of me. My very first stranded project! Perfect? No. Done? yes.

Pattern: Kate Gilbert's Bird in HandYarn: Cascade 220 in Colors shown (like I still have the ball band??)
Needles Crystal Palace #1 dpns.
Started: A while ago. Finished on Earth Day 2008 just before Deadliest Catch started.
Modifications: I just could not figure out the Estonian Braid despite numerous attempts. So it was replaced by some purl bumps on the cuff. I'm sorry, Kate!

Still needs to be washed but that will wait for the next batch of socks to be washed. Have to be thrifty with my wool wash.

I loved, loved, loved doing this. It was such fun to watch the pattern emerge and although some of the floats on the inside could be looser or tighter, I'm pleased.

Yesterday was a very sad, emotional and long day as we said a last goodbye to a friend and coworker. I finally got home exhausted both physically and mentally exhausted but happy that her struggle was over. And as I finished up the little birdie on the thumb I realized that she was flying free. So, Sharon..this bird's for you.

Etc

2008-04-20T17:39:00.000-07:00

I was hoping that Bird in Hand would be finished by this time and I could show it off. Alas, I'm about 6 rows from the end of the thumb and noticed I skipped a couple rows. I just wanted to cry. So it's been tinked back and is resting quietly while I sort of regroup my brain.

It's been a fun and busy weekend. I had Friday off unexpectedly and got the laundry done early and rewarded myself with a trip to the City. I had two goals...one to find a skein of bright yellow Cascade 220 and to find a book/mag by Alan Dart that I learned from Ravelry other people had found at Barnes and Noble or Borders.

The yarn I wanted was out of stock so I got a skein of white and decided I would just dye it. And after hitting 4 bookstores I finally found the book. And now I have the pattern for the gnome that I have wanted forever. (I would insert pic here but my batteries went down a bit ago and I have to get more)

Stopped on the way back to watch The Girl play softball but ummm all that was there was a machine pitch game. They've promised me a revised schedule.

Yesterday and today was a mixture of work and play. I have decided to go through every cabinet and closet on this place and do a thorough sorting and cleaning. The bathroom is complete. My little closet is done and there are boxes of clothes waiting for the next Habitat pickup. One would think that if you became a grown up you would quit growing :-( The cabinet in the kitchen that my dishes/glasses are in is done. One down and a bazillion to go. I did manage to the the propane heaters back down to the basement and the propane bottles out of the house. I planned on going to the can bank today but I've added it to the next list. It's amazing how much stuff I can cram in small places. Hershey kept me company and enjoyed a nap with my newest softie (thank you Nature Conservancy)

The yarn got dyed. Actually it got dyed twice. Once yesterday with Koolaid Lemonade and a bit of food color (Yellow food color makes stuff kind of orange in places. After it dried, I noticed a lot of places that were missed so after replenishing the Koolaid, I overdyed today. I'm glad I did..it toned down the orange. It's very windy today and I hung it in the archway and with front and back doors opened it dried really fast. Now to wind it so I can put the ball winder and swift away.

And the mitt was worked on as noted above. It's going to be a one mitt project I think. Primarily because knitting with worsted weight yarn on #1 needles makes my hands hurt. But I really want to do more stranded stuff. It's addictive, or like working a jigsaw puzzle. I have company for that too. Here in a wonky picture you can see Hershey helping me hold up my lap desk, and Mary down there warming my foot. :-)

It's springtime and everything is being decorated with helicopters..or whirly gigs..whichever you prefer. They are sooo pretty coming down. And I love the reddish tint on the "wing".

OK..back to the thumb.

M-m-m-m-m-m Maple!

2008-04-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, Jessie, of A Piece of Vermont, had a post on her blog about going to a friend's sugarhouse where maple syrup happens. Lots of pictures and I was fascinated. I commented that I didn't think I'd ever tasted real maple syrup. She said I broke her heart :-)

A big box was on the porch yesterday when I came home from errands and inside was this!

Look at the syrup with the sun shining through it...pure gold!

Well after over 6 decades now I can truly say I've tasted maple syrup. This morning I got out a happy plate.

Then there was this..

And finally...

and life is soooooooo good! Thanks so much Jessie!

I Thought I Was a Toad

2008-03-30T17:11:00.001-07:00

I had planned on showing you a bit of knitting progress on the mitt. However, although I did knit each and every blue and white stitch as shown in the red box, I discovered that sometimes I didn't do it all the way around the row. Hmmm. I shall blame it on the fact that I was watching severe storms move VERY slowly across the state. (no damage here that I know about...I slept through our part but a town north of OKC got hit pretty good)

Ahhh yes, spring in Oklahoma! Gotta love it!

So...instead of knitting, I will give you a peek at the real me??

You Were a Porcupine

You have created your own path in life, and you encourage others to do the same.

Even as life progresses, you always maintain a sense of wonder and innocence.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

More Fun in The City

2008-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Saturday, after a minimal of weekend house stuff was done, I headed back to the City. This time though, it wasn't to eat with friends..at least I didn't think it was.

I'd discovered an email in my bulk mail about a Natural Dye thing at the City Arts Center. Oh ack!! It asked that you call and tell them you were coming and here it is the very day. But I emailed back and Abi graciously told me to come on. So..I did!

We were given some information about the dyes we would be using. Ummm I've forgotten some of them but I know for sure there was cochineal (from bugs) that made red, logwood that made graying blue, and indigo that heh..made blue. I think I was too excited to remember too much. There was a big group there. Some ladies that looked like socialite sorts, some really fun teenagers, some young boys..maybe pre-adolescent that were more fun than anyone, mommas and girls and grubby dyeing people like me.

When I first got there, I talked to some teenagers who were winding what appeared to be jute..or something...from huge spools onto swifts and skeining it up. I asked them about it, and it was going to be dyed at a later day and used for weaving.

What fun! We were all dyeing silk scarves..there were 75 available and you were allowed to take one home and the rest they were going to use as a fund raising project for the Natural Dye Studio. Well...we went through the 75 and they found more and I think around 90 were done plus bandanas and little bags. Everyone was talking and sharing ideas and we all were just sure that our most recent idea would be the best.

I was most fascinated with the indigo. Put the fabric in to a count of 10, pull it out..it's lime green. And as soon as the air hits it, it starts turning blue. I wish I'd taken pictures of it. And, if you wanted it to be darker, instead of leaving it in longer, you came back about 20-30 min later and dipped it again. And so forth. I really have to learn more about this! Oh yeah, and it doesn't smell the least good. We all did all of our own dyeing except for the indigo pot and a really nice woman named Leah was in charge of that and ever so patient as all of us asked questions and crowded around.

Towards the end of our session, a henna artist showed up doing free henna tattoos (not sure that's what they're called). I missed out on that because I was still dyeing stuff and you can't get your hand wet. I should have asked her to do my ankle but it might have been rather difficult to drive home barefooted. Someone also brought a bunch of pizzas. I didn't miss out on that! Sat there with a wet scarf in one hand, pizza in another and having this slightly intense conversation with some young very punk looking kid. I think he was a lot smarter than me!

And how very cool our workspace was. A HUGE room. Big metal sinks, lots of long tables. And you could just thumbtack your scarf to the wall if all the clotheslines were filled.

Someone lucked out and ended up with a silk stole. I don't know how she made it look like that and she didn't either. I think it was my most favorite.

There were a variety of things done.

This was my effort at camouflage.

And this was my time with indigo (primarily) along with some overlapping cochineal and logwood. And this one came home with me.

And that's about all that happened on Saturday. No knitting. I was so tired, and when Earth Hour arrived, like a good girl I turned out the lights and that was it for me until 5 AM this morning :-) Today's been all about getting stuff done that didn't happen yesterday. Tonight maybe knitting!

Friday Night in the Big Town

2008-03-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

First of all a big thank you to Crystal for the info on the red box! Really helps when you know what you're looking at!

No knitting last night tho. It was a girl's night out in Bricktown a special part of Oklahoma City. It's been quite awhile since I've been down there and whew..it's really grown with lots more to see and do. Eleven goofy women out and about. What a good time we had.

We ate here at the Bourbon St. Cafe and it was very, very good. There were oysters and pork shops and some really different salad. On my dinner plate was a very tasty, tender steak. YUM! (And it had paprika sprinkled around to look pretty!) And in my glass Shiner Bock. A far reach from my usual "eat out" at a fast food place.

After dinner we walked around and laughed a lot and then rode the water taxi on a great trip around the canal. We've already tentatively planned a return.

A really fun evening and it's really nice to spend time with friends doing totally different sorts of things.

Today may hold totally different adventures barring unforseen roadblocks. We shall see. But for now, I need to do the ironing! See ya later! Hope your day is a good one.

Riddle Me This

2008-03-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

With apologies to Ms. Gilbert, here's the beginning of my Bird in Hand mitten. Apologies because I've changed something. Watch a DVD, think I'm a designer? No, not at all! I was supposed to be doing plain knitting for a few rows and then an Estonian Braid before the color started. And try as I might, I just couldn't figure out the braid. So I did a few rows of 1/1 ribbing followed by a rows of purling. This is soooooooooooo fun although I am very slow. It may be a lifetime project.

Now, I'm puzzled though. See on the pattern ... the little red box? I don't know what it means. I thought about emailing Ms. Gilbert, but I figured it's probably something most everyone knows, so I thought I would try y'all first.

Oh and yes I write on my hand. For things I can't forget. I may lose a stickie note but hopefully I won't lose track of my hand. This has to stay until in the morning.

It's been a really good week here. Fun knitting, good weather, and yesterday when I took a fall on the sidewalk, nothing got really hurt except my pride! But that's ok, cause nobody saw me. Heh.

Sunday with Elizabeth, Meg and Jane

2008-03-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a visual learner. I learn much more easily if I can actually see what's happening, whether in person, via large photos, or on video. When I first started knitting I ordered a DVD from somewhere that allegedly would be the be all and end all. What it turned out to be was a lot of philosophy and pretty music and although it did show someone knitting, a lot of the time it was shot from the front. Fortunately Dave, I think, clued me in to knitting-help.com and I was able to more easily learn some of the things that had puzzled me.

So in my quest to learn stranded knitting, I read that there was a really good way of trapping the longer spans of yarn on A Knitting Glossary with EZ and her daughter. I looked it up and it was $40 which I didn't have. (later learned it's in Stitch and Bitch too). Then later in the week I saw a really cute sweater pattern online and thought the next time I went to the yarn store, I would see if they had it so I could read the instructions and see if any of them made sense.

I survived the laundromat experience, got to the post office too late to mail my stuff and decided a little rest was in order. I popped in one of the discs that I'd ordered from Netflix (joined on Wed, discs arrived Friday!!) and settled back. Mailman arrives and in the mail was an unexpected check for $45+ from the cafeteria plan. (I didn't realize I'd already spent more than $500 on meds this year). And faster than a NY minute, I was in the car and headed for the LYS.

This dvd is the MOST amazing thing. Three hours of instructions on most anything I could think of and a lot of things I didn't even know I didn't know. And both of them are so personable and Real. It's just a joy to watch. If you haven't seen it maybe your library can get it for you. It's just wonderful. I can't imagine how it would have been to actually know either of them.

I'm afraid I haven't actually put any of it to use because you see, there are those 2Miss Marple disks (they're watched now) and one more movie. What a lovely weekend I've had!

Not Down for the Count

2008-03-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

Whew..what a week! Started out innocently enough, just a typical Monday morning. I did notice my back was a bit more cranky than usual, but that happens. Off I go to work. And I hadn't been there long when it felt like somebody had just whapped me with a 2x4 across my lower back. I shifted around in my seat a bit and kept on with the paperwork generated over the weekend. But it just kept getting worse and by 9:30 everything hurt. My bones, my muscles..heck even my skin hurt. One of the bosses stopped by to ask a simple question and I answered with "I don't know...my skin hurts too much to think" And as tears trickled down (I hate that) I was sent home. Home..what a lovely thought.

Getting my shoes off was the only major thing I faced the rest of the day and I discovered that I could actually reach them by using the letter opener. A MacGyver moment for sure!

Tuesday was a bit better, I got up, got ready but after being up for a couple of hours it all came back again. And until Thursday most of my time was spent with either ice or a heating pad and not-so-interesting daytime tv.

Back to work on Thursday..not one of my more stellar days but I got through it and Friday was a bit better. Glad to be done with that week for sure. Now the challenge today will be getting two big laundry baskets full of wet clothes/linens to the laundrymat so I can dry them. Fortunately pjs don't weigh much!

There was only a bit of knitting done. Sitting up was difficult and I can't seem to knit in a supine position. Lots of practice though on my stranded project. Well, not actually the project but the swatch. I did get gauge on #1 dpns and then it was off to investigate stranded knitting. There wasn't a pattern. I'd just make up something, rip it back, do it again etc, etc. I really don't do well 2 handed. I'm a "picker" and I just couldn't seem to get any kind of tension with my right hand. I tried that little wire knitters thimble on my left hand (oddly enough I bought it at a WM sale bin for 50 cents one time...had no idea what it was for but it said "knitter" and was cheap) and that sorta worked but still it just wasn't right. So far my best has been just running both yarns through the same fingers and every once in awhile sort of regrouping. I've seen a sort of plastic thing that will handle several colors of yarn. Maybe I can try one of those.

So, soon it will be off to the grocery and the laundry, and then hopefully home for knitting and a movie. Yep, I signed up for Netflix on Wed, and yesterday came home to find 3 DVDs in my mailbox. So Friday evening I spent in the English countryside with Miss Marple. A very good time was had by all..well except for the villan :-)

Ravelry Etiquette

2008-03-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Question. If you want to add someone to your "friends" group, are you supposed to message them and ask if it's ok? This isn't someone I really know, but rather someone that I read and admire.

Monday Post on Tuesday

2008-03-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

Monday's post had to be stopped quickly due to thunder/lightning and it didn't save. So here it goes again.

The weekend was just great! The laundry was finally all dry and I discovered that ironing during the Sunday morning news shows is therapeutic. Worried about the economy? Get rid of a wrinkle. Frustration at politics in general? Set a crease. And so it goes.

A tip. If you hang your laundry in the kitchen doorway to dry, do NOT fry chicken while it's up there. It certainly negates any clean laundry smell.

But the highlight of Saturday was finally hearing Mama Squid's voice. I was so excited and I'm afraid I babbled quite a lot. Oh well, I do that here so she's probably used to it. Thanks Devorah!! It means a lot to me.

Later that night, I discovered that Kate Gilbert's Bird in Hand mittens now have a KAL just starting. I've loved this pattern since I first saw it, but I don't know how to do stranded knitting. Then I discovered that the KAL is a part of WEBS "Ready, Set, Knit" podcast. And on that page there were instructions and such to download. I may figure this out yet! And have new friends to listen to. Haven't made it that far yet but pages are printed out. (Adding to the stacks, Devorah :-))

Oh goodness! It's thundering again. I'll be back and even put in the links.

Back again. OK where was I?

Sunday. So, the ironing's don. A beautiful day and a perfect one for a drive to the City. Finally I got to go see my long-hospitalized friend. She's now in a LTAC (long term acute care) ICU and oh...it's the most wonderful place. Her room is huge. Big, big tv. Nice furniture. Looks more like a very large living room with a lot of light. And she's doing much better! Go Em!

And there was a quick stop at a LYS for one skein of Cascade 220. White. Nothing exciting but I needed a contrast for the turquoise color in my stash. Oddly enough, one of the LYS' has quit carrying that yarn. They now have a new-to-me yarn called Riverstone, I believe. I'll have to find out why.

Then home for more listening to podcasts. How cool that in some places you can actually have knitting shows on the local radio station.

And then there was swatching. I took the pic before I really measured because it was bedtime. Let's just say that I didn't get the stitches per inch that I needed. And to keep me company while I swatched, I enjoyed a phone convo with Sara! Does giggling affect swatches? So..more swatching in my future.

And apparently, more thunder. Bye!

Wednesday was Great...

2008-03-14T05:19:00.000-07:00

Thursday, not so and I have my doubts about today. But, at least it's been interesting.

I wanted to balance my check book before leaving out. And it was no where to be found. Apparently my purse tumped over in my desk drawer and it fell out, but it took quite awhile to come to that conclusion. So, after a rather late start, I headed out. Too late to get to the tea store; I'll just have to call them and check. But I came home loaded down with 4 cases of canned cat food and a big bag of dry (after numerous times of being without a vehicle I tend to stock up *G*) and a new shedding brush that looks just like a small curry comb. And new printer cartridges. And new tennis shoes (a good thing since the old ones just lost their soles). Simply Knitting with a great leprechan pattern and Knit Simple with some great sweaters found it's way into my shopping bag too. Oh, and new nail polish for my toes. The weather was glorious (76F on the way home) and everyone was driving with their windows down and chatting/waving/grinning at the stop lights. Motorcycles galore. A couple was in front of me for about 15 miles. And everytime we had to stop, the girl on the back turned around and grinned. Finally, we were side by side at a stop light and she and her boy both chatted with me as we waited. "Have a great evening" he yelled as they took off. Too fun.

When I was getting out of the car, I managed to slop some soda on my purse. Not a real biggie as it's made out of windbreaker like fabric, but it was sticky. So I dumped everything out on the table and threw it, along with a jacket, some sweats and other such things in the washer.

Yesterday morning, I pulled the jacket and purse out and threw them in the dryer. Clickity bang went the plastic toggles on the jacket drawstring. I disengaged the part of my brain that's annoyed by that and went on with my morning. Finally dressed and ready for work, I went to retrieve them and discovered that apparently a couple of gel pens were clipped inside the bag. Well, they were...but they'd spent a great deal of time banging around in the dryer. OMG what a mess. Lots of ink (fortunately not on the jacket or purse or any of the other stuff in that load of wash). I had just read, the night before, on Ravelry that hair spray would remove it from the drum. Do you know how high you can get spraying hair spray in a very warm dryer? I got the most off and stumbled off to work. Last night I used the last of the hair spray but still there was ink. Now for my latest and greatest discovery. That pre-treater SprayNW*sh does an amazing job with a lot less fumes! And, I finished drying things, plus some towels without a trace of ink. Yay!

So now we get to Friday morning. Hoping to get a jump start on weekend laundry, I washed sheets this morning. Put them in the dryer. Turned it on. It hummed. But it doesn't go around. So, if you stop by today please don't be alarmed at the sheet draped over the dining room table. And if I'm not home, just wait. I'm just at the store getting clothesline! Ahhh challenges. It does keep life interesting.

A Question about Netflix

2008-03-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about signing up since my DVD player is now functional and I have a question and I haven't found an answer on their site.

If you choose a multi-disc selection like a season of tv show, does it count as one, or does it count by the disc. And, do you get them all at once or one at a time.

Thanks for any info you can share. Oh, and if you use them does it work as well as they say?

Midweek Miscellaneous

2008-03-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Hi! Me again. This time with no new pics of fluff. And I want to get more repeats done on the sock before it shows up here.

Bumble Vee, yes, I would be really happy to send you some of this but somehow we need to email so I'll know where to send it. When I post at your 'house' does my eMail addy show up? If so...that will work. Perhaps inspired by your place in the blogsphere, I have this need to knit my Build a Bear lamb a shrug and make her an Easter dress. So off to the bookcase this morning to look through Knits for Children and Their Teddies. Ah yes, there's a shrug in there. I guess I'd better get busy on those socks so I can start something new. :-)

I'm off work today. Another use-i-or-lose-it vacation day. I'd love to have a whole week off but that is just so hard on the ones left there. We aren't overly staffed.
And, while I'd like nothing better than staying in my jammies all day, I'm off to the City. The cats tell me I need to go restock their food from Petsmart and I agree. And maybe there is a new Simply Knitting at the book store. And last night somewhere in blogland I stumbled on a new-to-me tea called Red Rose. It supposedly very good AND it comes with a little figurine in the box. I'm such a sucker for surprises! So, I'll stop at the only tea place I know about and see if they have it. Maybe not. They're rather fancy,schmancy and most of the tea I saw when shopping for a swap pal was in big glass jars with shiny silver lids and you they scooped it out into your bag. Worth a try though. I'll let you know.

Have a good one kiddos!