Secret Knitting and Sacrifices

A certain middle-schooler that lives at my house every other week is obsessed with purple. Her coat is purple. Her backpack is purple. Most of her clothes are purple. Are you seeing a trend here? So last week, when it was Dad Week, what did her dad get her? A white hat and white gloves. Ugh! This is a young one who, like her momma, has a love for the fluffy white stuff that falls from the sky. She plays in it, even when there's only a dusting on the ground. You know what that means; dirty gloves/mittens!



How do you keep white gloves clean on ground like that??? (And see Bruno? he's spotted a squirrel up on the lines above him! mmmmm squirrel!)

Being the type of mom that I am, and knowing that wool mittens are the best winter weather gear for playing in the snow, I've cast on a pair of, yep, you guessed it, purple woolen mittens. Even though my darling Mayhem is a cookie-cutter image of me, and we share the love of snow, we do not share the love for purple. More than once I have threatened to friends that I am going to stab my eyes out with my dpn's before finishing these mittens, and I fear I may not finish them in time for our Christmas celebration on the morning of December 24th... not because I can't, but because the purple is killing me!

Darling Mayhem knows nothing about these mittens at all. I have been working on them at night, or when she is at her dad's, or in the car while waiting to pick her and her brother up from school. I just reached the point of needing to put the thumb stitches on hold for mitten number one, so the hard part is done; keeping track of the gussett increases. I feel safe showing you a photo, because Mayhem would have commented here by now if she were a reader of this blog. (She is not one to keep quiet, trust me!)

Pardon the crummy cell phone photo, please. As you can see, I was in the car, but not driving, I promise.



I am using this pattern - Alex's Mittens (on Ravelry) which is a roomy pattern and well written. I knit it before, for Bill's younger son for Christmas a couple years ago.

So far this December we have had only a dusting of snow (.7 inches) which made the dogs ecstatic (me too!), but we are expecting 5" tomorrow afternoon and into Monday morning. *happy dance* That will be good knitting time for me for finishing up mitten one and getting number two knocked out of the way. Then it's on to another gift project. A dear friend of mine who lives in Los Angeles has requested a hat in OSU colors. GAH! More stabbing out of the eyes.
Sheesh. The sacrifices I make! ;-) GO BLUE!

Kidnapped!

The past couple of days I've been gone, because I was kidnapped by two of my dear friends on short notice. The fact that I am back at my computer writing this entry shows that I have been safely returned, so there's no need to worry. :-) I was told to pack a change of clothes and my toothbrush and prepare for some fun. Of course, for me, that meant I had to pack some knitting and bring along a bottle of wine, too.

What we ended up doing was winding our way from T-Town a little ways north into Michigan, then west to a winery near Jackson. The Sandhill Crane Winery had free wine tastings, but was off the beaten path. We had a great chuckle because most of the signs for it were right beside the directional signs for the local middle school! Much of our wine tasting time was spent debating whether the kids skipped out to the winery or the teachers! hehehehe

After consulting the GPS (me!), we found our way back to the highway and next headed to Howell, MI for some outlet mall shopping. When we ran out of daylight, and stores, we checked into a hotel (after bargaining for a better rate on the room) and went in search of some dinner. Have you ever been to eat at Tomato Brothers? The food was good, but the bread sticks were amazing!

Morning found us on the road again (cue the Willie Nelson music here) and headed even further north toward Birch Run Outlets which are literally on the other side of the highway from Frankenmuth. We shopped, and ate, and shopped some more. And guess what, when we finally headed home, we had to stop in Ann Arbor to hit Whole Foods and Trader Joe's as well!

So what did I buy? I bought some jeans for Absent-Minded Professor, who is growing like a weed. Mayhem is the recipient of some sweats from the Gap. Bill gets a shirt from Woolrich... a soft plaid flannel. I found a wool sweater with sheep on it for me. (pic from the Woolrich website)AND, I treated myself to the most enormous carmel apple rolled in chopped nuts drizzled with chocolate. YUM

After all of that, and being in and out of the car more times than I could count, my shoulder was complaining quite loudly. I was more than ready to be home, but I was sure glad The Diva's kidnapped me. True, loyal friends are a blessing!

Escape from Reality

Sometimes it's good to run away from everything. That's what I did last weekend. The Insanknitty Retreat was the perfect escape from the reality that is my life - medical tests, kids crazy schedules, refinancing, etc.

An overnight knit-fest with 40+ knitters, many of whom are dear friends, was just what the doctor ordered. We holed up at Widewater Retreat Center from 9:00AM Saturday until 5:00PM Sunday. I ate too much, had a fabulous massage, knitted as much as I wanted, sat in the sun...

There were eight people assigned to my room, including me, not that we did much sleeping! That full room was by choice, because we knew we would be up late being silly. I think we went to bed around 2:10AM, and finally fell asleep around 3:00AM. Much knitting and spinning was accomplished, though. Even more laughter was accomplished, and at times we laughed until we cried. Picture a big slumber party with your closest friends, away from home. Add in knitting and silliness... like Jello wrestling.

And musical entertainment.
I had time to spin... here I am pre-drafting some fiber.

We had some basic spinning lessons with drop spindles.

My friends in attendance weren't just local friends. Becca and Kristy and Beth came in from Chicago. Cary drove up from Tennessee. I love your faces!

Who could be stressed with beauty like this to see all weekend?

The retreat was well-organized and loosely structured enough to be relaxing. I missed my kids, but the time away with my knitter friends to re-charge my batteries was so worth it! Bill deserves a special thank you for the camp chair with attached foot-rest. It was so comfy all weekend for knitting, sitting outside and relaxing... my pregnant friend Heather also appreciated it! Thanks so much for another considerate gift, Luv.

Miss Me?

I know I have been M.I.A., and I apologize. There's been so much going on, but not that you would want to be bored with, I bet. (Some health issues for me, that I am sorting out with a neurologist and rheumatologist this month)

There's still knitting and fun with friends when I'm not totally incapacitated by pain or migraines.

Another dishcloth for at Bill's place.

Dinner and Knitting with Friends of P from Chicago... and a couple of brave men. ;-)

Green Cake and beer for St. Patrick's Day. (I saved you a bite!)

Want to see something cool I just bought? Knit Kit I ordered this from The Loopy Ewe, since I had a store credit - you know, being a frequent shopper will get you those! Once it arrives, a review on the performance will surely be in order.

BIG NEWS ALERT: My knitting friend Jeanne has just launched her own yarn line!! You can find her online shop and colorways here at Yarndeavors. I have bought some of this delicious, gorgeous yarn and let me tell you, this is one purchase you will NOT regret!!!

I will blog more, I promise. Rest assured, I am still alive. Just keeping my head above water.

This Too Shall Pass

Last Friday I had a birthday. I only mention it, because it was such a mixture of happiness and trauma, and I learned a lot of things, that I want to share.

Turning 42 is nothing. Piece of cake. Just a number.

Losing a friend who is just your age, on your birthday, is tough. Tracy Pleva Hill was one of the most amazing women I ever knew. She and I nursed our babies at the same time, and she just lost an 8+ year battle with breast cancer. Here's a photo of us a few years ago in NYC - Tracy on the left, and me on the far right. Tracy reminded her friends to drive with the windows open, to live every day to the fullest and made the f-ing cancer fight for every inch it took. She was a warrior!

Having true-blue friends that get you knitting books, yummy lotion, and birthday cake to celebrate with after work can help you feel so much better.

Daffodils sent to you at work by a dear friend who lives in another state help also. (I love you, Evil Twin!)

Getting rear-ended in Friday traffic and having your car smashed front and back, with one of your kids in the car, is terrifying. Again, I am lucky. I was able to call my son and tell him we would be late, but we were fine. Even my car had minimal damage compared to the guy who hit me. (BTW, the Ford Freestyle is a tank. I highly recommend it!) I will still be without my car at some point, since both the front and rear bumpers will need to be completely replaced. The muscle soreness and pain I still have are a great reminder of the importance of seat belts and that they do work. Mayhem, who was safely buckled up in the back seat, was scared, but has no pain at all today.

I also learned, over this birthday, that Bill is an amazing secret keeper and brilliant gift giver. Once again, the gift he procured for my birthday surprised me, was something I wanted, and took my breath away! (It wasn't even jewelry.) So what is this amazing gift?

(image from bestbuy.com)
Yep, a new camera lens!!! A ZOOM lens for my digital camera. The one I've been lusting after. The kicker is that he's had it since Christmas, just waiting to give to me. Me? I wouldn't have been able to wait. When I have gifts that special, I give them. So kudos to you, Luv, on your patience and master gift giving. (And the torture factor added in by giving me the lens when I didn't have my camera with me? Nice one.) My birthday gift also included a bottle of wine from here. The image on the right of that webpage is on the bottle label. Leave it to my beloved Bill to find wine related to my fiber addiction!

The day was full of contradictions. Even though my friend finished her time here on Earth with us, I had a very physical, tangible reminder that my time isn't done. Wear your seatbelts. Tell the people you love that you love them every day. Put your kids in the backseat even if they beg to be up front. Go get your mammogram.

Drive with the windows open.

Looking For Answers

I have a treat for you today. Bill answers questions about knitting - my knitting in particular!

There's a meme going around asking significant others to answer a short interview list of questions. Here's what my dear, Buddy Bill has to say about it all. Questions are in boldtype. My comments, if I have any (hehehehe) will be in italics.

What is your favorite thing about my knitting? I like the fact that it is a great stress reliever and helps clear your mind of the daily clutter we are bombarded with. Are you saying my mind is cluttered??

What is your least favorite thing about my knitting? Absolutely nothing. See how smart Bill is!

What is something I have knitted, that you recall as good? Scarf, sweater, socks, and some of the things you have made for others. See? Bill has even noticed that I knit for others! One dishcloth I knit for him is hanging on his fridge as artwork. Too pretty to use, he says. LOL

Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby? Every hobby has an investment but compared to golf? He totally gets it. But then again, he has only seen MY stash. hehehehe

Any hobbies? Preparing fine foods, wine, reading, and travel. Travel! We are putting together a 9-day tour of London and Paris for June 2009. All-inclusive: airfare, hotel, meals, tours. Wanna go?? It will be right after Bill and I get back from Washington DC with the 7th graders. LOL I have already found a yarn shop in Paris.

Do you have a stash of any kind? No. Don't let him fool you. Clocks. And the man has a serious things for pens and sticky notes!!

Have I ever embarrassed you, knitting in public? No. It's not the knitting that's embarrassing.

Do you know my favorite kind of yarn? Hand delivered Scottish yarn? aaaaaahhhh, yes. The beautiful gift of yarn that Bill brought me all the way from Scotland. He took a group of golfers to St. Andrews three years ago and brought me hand-dyed silk and cashmere yarn. He also went to Di Gilpin's shop to buy it. But mostly I knit with wools. I love Malabrigo and hand-dyed sock yarns.

Can you name another blog? No Bill does read many political blogs online.

Do you mind my wanting to stop at knit shops wherever we go? Not at all. This is really true! This past Saturday Bill sat at the LYS with me while I knitted and he joked with the other knitters.

Do you understand the importance of a swatch? Swatch is a brand of watch. I prefer Timex. Knowing the time is of some importance. Bill hates to be late for anything! I've since coached Bill on knitting swatches and their importance.

Do you read my blog? Always. Yes, he does.

Have you ever left a comment? Yes If you read the comments, you will find Bill leaves an occasional comment. Or kisses.

Do you think the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit? No. Sad but true. It's not that my house is so clean, it can't get any cleaner. I have two kids, two frogs, two very BIG dogs, and work full-time. If I want time to knit, something's gotta give. If you're coming to see my house instead of me, well, then we probably aren't real friends.

Anything you’d like to add? A great hobby, good for mind and soul, and produces something of lasting value. I love that you know the value of something made by hand, Luv, and all the care and love that goes into a handmade, knitted garment.

Thanks for being a good sport and playing along for the blog today!

XOXOXOXO

Hello... Goodbye

Hello August. Where in the hell did you come from?

You know what that means, right? Work. Yep. High school counselors go back to work much earlier than junior high counselors and I have already been at the high school learning the new student scheduling program and fixing student schedules. My senior and junior schedules are done. I started on the sophomores this morning. School doesn't even start until Aug. 27, but there's so much to do!

Along with saying goodbye to summer already, my knitting friends and I are saying goodbye to a fellow knitter who has become family to us. Jen arrived here in May to do an internship for college, just for the summer, and she's heading back to Tucson to finish school. We hope it's temporary. Like I said, she's become family to a bunch of us. I know her mom and dad and boyfriend can't wait to get her back, but we have talked about kidnapping her and keeping her hidden in a cornfield. Jen, I won't think of spinning, FOP Fest or giant zucchini without thinking of you!



My Dream in Color shrug is nearly complete and I have completed two cotton washcloths that I am also going to say goodbye to. My Knitters for Obama group on Ravelry is collecting items for homeless shelters that help U.S. Veterans. Specifically requested items are washcloths, hats and scarves. It took no time at all to make this one, and another in a different color. The pattern is called DW Dishcloth.



Lastly, I decided that I needed to organize some of my books, knitting and yarn. Off to Target I went and found the cubby shelves and fabric bins to put inside. I already had the Longaberger baskets. This really helped me pull knitting and books from different places around the house and make a more central place for my knitting supplies. This is by no means all of it, but the baskets and most of the books were previously stacked along the back of my sectional sofa.

What have you been up to?

Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, a bunch friends gathered together on Ravelry in appreciation of Piddleloop bags. The Friends of P decided one night that as many as possible should get together in T-Town, since a bunch of us live here already, to knit and cause general mayhem for a weekend. Friends came from Chicago, Indiana, Tennessee and Fostoria, Columbus and southern Ohio to join the Toledoans.

And so, FoP Fest was born.



Yarn Cravin' generously let us take over the porch.Jen K. was spinning some beautiful yarn with her drop spindle. She's heading back to Tucson in a couple of weeks. (waaaaaaah!)Bobbie and DaleAnn, owners of Yarn Cravin' talked to Piddleloop Jen and took great care of all of us.
Tired from the late nights, but happy we all got together, plans are already in the works for another get-together.

Friends and Fiber

This is why I am NOT buying any yarn in July. Seriously. Or anything else I don't need!

In June, my mail carrier was kept hopping. Dream In Color Classy arrived from The Loopy Ewe for another shrug. That's Beach Fog.


I'm loving the shrug I'm working on and I see myself making another one. My red one is about half done. See?

And then there's the yarn from Indie dyers from Etsy that arrived... My friends. People I know, and some I don't, but "do" through Ravelry and the blogosphere. I finally get to meet Melissa of Keegan Lane Yarns tomorrow! I bought her first yarn, and her 100th skein. She dyed that light blue sparkly yarn. Jeanne in Cleveland dyed the blue/white/bronze skein that stripes. Go check out Destination Yarn. The turquoise and brown is Dashing Dachs... the colorway is Weiner Dog. I bought the same skein for SarahLou to cheer her up. It worked. But maybe it was the George Washington false teeth magnet from Mount Vernon?? On the end is a skein of "Algae" from Sarah at Perfect Day Yarns. Sarah is so sweet in person! I just love her. (She just put new yarns in her shop, and I can't buy any!!!!)

My ninja skills were in top form when I scored my latest Piddleloop bag. This is "Groovy," my most favorite project bag from the dynamic duo, Jen and Wendy. There are a couple of bags in the shop still, but not like mine! hahahaha

Along with the tangible goods, there were plenty of meals out, and extra trips to Starbucks. I had a memorable lunch with The Divas, my two dear friends from work. We went to a little Italian place, which one insisted was a Greek place before we arrived, thus explaining why we all had trouble finding it. That was before the wine. Trattoria was the perfect place to relax, catch up, have some good food and wine, and laugh ourselves silly. I can't even tell you about after the wine.

Dr. Zhivago and Land Sharks

Coming off a lovely weekend can be kind of a downer, you know that? The thought of Monday looming ahead just really takes the wind out of my sails.

Being kid-less for a big part of the weekend meant knitting and movies and cooking and just catching up on sleep. Friday night Buddy Bill and I rented an old movie, which we've both seen, but not in years, Dr. Zhivago. After cooking dinner together, we managed to get through half of the film. Saturday we decided to cook corned beef and sauerkraut and invited a friend to join us, then ran errands and picked up a few more grocery items. I was so excited to find this at the market: Straight from the Margaritaville Brewing Co., it's LandShark Lager! Fellow Parrotheads will understand the significance.


I also bought this pretty potted flower for my mom for Easter - it's called "Cineraria." The flowers are really that blue, and my mom's favorite color is blue.



While the food was simmering away, I napped, I knitted on College Kid's socks, and Buddy Bill and I finished watching the rest of the long saga of the Russian Revolution. I couldn't help but admire the blooming daffodils I had given to Bill earlier in the week as tightly closed buds. They were part of the American Cancer Society fundraiser. Yes, I gave Bill flowers. He was delighted!



Our friend joined us for corned beef with the announcement that he will be inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the school system where we work (and he & Bill retired from) in the fall. This comes after nearly 30 years of service as a coach for the district. What fun it was to celebrate our friend's recognition - we were the first to know and share in his good news! Good food, three great friends, laughing and happy together... it was one of those moments that you want to file away in your mind for the future, you know? I put it right up there with the memory of College Kid asking me to knit him socks, and the memory of him trying to decide which yarn I should use for his socks. I wish you could have seen his delight when I said, "I'm sure this won't be the only pair of socks I ever knit for you."

Speaking of knitting...

The knitting 8th graders are doing great! We knitted again this past week, and one of them asked to take his knitting home for the weekend. He was prepared to face questions from his family about knitting, and was armed with ammunition that it relaxes him, like meditation, and also that he thinks it helps him prepare for track meets. P- wanted the knitting for a long car trip Friday evening. J- is persevering, and still moving along. P- is flying, has even, consistent stitches, and knits at a decent pace. I'm taking in dishcloth cotton to start a "real" project during our next "group counseling" session.

Let it Snow!

Hooray! Today it snowed! Many schools had 2-hour delays this morning, and some even closed. My district had a 2 hour delay, but it was planned weeks ago for teacher in-service. No big deal. But it snowed! And it stuck!

Today I spent part of the day on the phone jumping through, hopefully, the last of the hoops thrown out in front of my by my medical insurance company to get the meds I need for my wrist pain. My doc had given samples of an arthritis drug that had been helping. Before that I took an anti-inflammatory that didn't do much. The arthritis drug and the wrist braces together really helped me a great deal. The samples ran out and my doc wrote an Rx for the med. The insurance company kicked it back saying they wouldn't pay it unless another anti-inflammatory was also tried for at least 30 days. GRRRRRR! So, the med that helped was stopped and I started taking another med the beginning of November. That's when all hell broke loose. That med was worthless. Almost no knitting all could happen. I was doing well to get through my day without dropping dishes, hairbrushes, toothbrushes, purse, keys. The doc will be working tomorrow to get the arthritis drug approved so I can pick it up in the next day or two. While I can type pretty proficiently with the braces on, knitting and velcro straps just aren't compatible. I need that medicine! It's not like I'm wanting something addictive like oxycontin. Sheesh!

I have a busy weekend planned. Saturday the guys are coming to clean my woodstove and chimney. Saturday night I'm leaving home so that my best friend K2 and I can get an early start to The Longaberger Homestead Sunday morning. Our annual pilgrimage is late this year!

In case you never thought about it, these baskets are great for storing yarn in, especially the ones with lids! Lots and lots of goodies at Longaberger.

Pictures from that trip, and Oma's birthday celebration will fill a post, I'm sure. K2 and I always find mischief. We have ever since third grade when we first met.

Seeing Green

I'm seeing green. Really. Last night when I measured Buddy B's Cobblestone sweater, it was 15" in length. The body for the size I am making has to be 17" before putting some stitches on hold for the sleeves, and knitting the top of the sweater. I'm getting so close! There have been a few days when I haven't knit because my wrists ached again. A couple of other days I was insanely busy and didn't get time to knit more than one or two rows. Two or three days it was really too warm to have a pile of wool sitting in my lap! I'm not bored or tired of this project, at all. Honestly, I'm finding great joy in this knit. Maybe the recipient has something to do with that. Someday, the weather might be cool enough for him to wear it, too! It has been in the mid to upper 80's here, making for some very steamy days here in 8th grade land.

Speaking of joy, I came across this quote today. Mother Teresa said, "Joy is very infectious; therefore, be always full of joy." It made me think of the way my life is going right now and how I been able to help others, especially recently. I feel strongly that we end up where we are supposed to be in life, that we have a purpose and we're placed on certains paths for certain reasons. Just in the past few days someone thanked me for sharing my joy of life.

Next weekend, I have a baby shower to attend. My nephew and his wife are expecting their first baby. I'm going to be a great aunt... again! (My nieces and nephew already think I'm a great aunt.) Not having a lot of notice on the shower, I am not sure that I am going to get a gift knitted in time for the shower, nor do I think I will try. My wrists just won't let me take on a rush job right now. I do have the Tulip Baby Cardigan kit at home from Dream in Color yarns. Honestly, I don't know that I want to put other things aside to focus on a baby sweater for a week and maybe not even finish. Having written it out here, I think I've decided I'll knit it slowly and send the sweater to baby when she arrives in November. Yes, she.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone. My parents are in town to watch my nephews. Tomorrow I'm taking my kids to The Butterfly House to see the Monarchs released. The butterflies will begin their migration to Mexico. Sunday will be spent going to The Toledo Zoo with Oma and Opa and all the kids.

Cough Cough Sniffle Knit Cough

Being sick is the pits most of the time. This time around, it's tolerable. Yesterday, after the Fossil Fest, I was at Buddy B's and snoozed on the couch and knitted while watching football. He was thoughtful enough to untangle the yarn for me, since the inside of the ball was in a knot, and then kept feeding the yarn to me as I knitted. Without being asked, I might add. (And yes, I know that's a fragment, not a sentence!)

Today I stayed at home sick after coughing all night (and also pulling or tearing a rib muscle which makes it more painful to breathe! ow!) and Buddy B brought me Starbucks and decided a walk in the sun would help me. This is the kind of day we were having... 65 and not a cloud in the sky.

The Toledo Botanical Garden is close to my house, and a peaceful place for a walk. Like always, I took plenty of pictures.

The dahlias were gorgeous!!!

In knitting news, Cobblestone is getting closer to the point where I will be starting the sleeves. At last measure, the body was 13.5" and I have to get to 17". As if I don't have enough to do, I dug out a crochet hook and some yarn from my stash and started a granny square afghan for B's couch this morning. A few months ago, I bought Tatamy Tweed on clearance at my LYS. I bought a huge amount of it. (Confession: I bought 16 or 18 balls of it!!) Right now, Oatmeal, Harvest Gold, Forrest, Birch and maybe some Ginger are being made into a big ol' granny square.

You see, yesterday, while snoozing on B's couch, I realized something was missing. Yep, he needs a blankie to snuggle under. Or should I say, *I* need a blankie to snuggle under?! Since I learned to crochet when I was seven years old, I can crank out a granny square afghan pretty darn quick. I'm not making a bunch of small squares to sew together, however. That would pretty much guarantee this would end up a UFO. Looking at it now, though, I see I need to use much more Oatmeal and Birch to make this a more neutral-colored afghan.

This yarn is very soft and completely machine washable, making it perfect for at B's place.

The Future

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

For several years now, those words have given me regular reminders to not give up on what I want for myself out of life. Those words hang in my office. Those words travel around a photo frame which sits on my desk, housing a photo of me with Buddy B at Annapolis. Those words have even been the "quote of the day" on the sidebar of this blog. It is that quote that has sustained me on many a dark day, when the life I wanted for myself seemed completely unattainable.

Thirteen words about not giving up on dreams; about having hope for the future. So small, and yet such a big deal, as Buddy B knows. He found a way for me to have my favorite quote with me all the time, and show his appreciation for all of my recent help all at the same time. We had seen these during our recent trip to Ann Arbor and he made a special drive back up to get one for me. The last one. It was presented to me Saturday night before we went out to see the show.

Jewelry by Kathy Bransfield, at Falling Water Books in Ann Arbor, MI. (Above photo snagged from their website.)

Photo frame with my favorite quote... and my best Buddy.

It didn't surprise me at all that on the day I showed up with a gift for him (the framed photos from Washington), he had a gift for me as well. We have always been on the same wavelength that way, and even have our own code for the phenomenon: TAA. Thinking Alike Again.

My necklace

The TAA thing happened at the furniture store this afternoon. We were looking for a couch for his apartment. Buddy B had been in the store yesterday and wanted to show me a couple of things. I wandered over to a certain couch and loveseat combo and pointed the set out to B. TAA. That was his top choice of the pieces he wanted to show me in that store. Of course.

Before stopping to see B I had a staff meeting this afternoon. Thank goodness for knitting! I would have been asleep if I didn't have Cobblestone to work on. I estimate that I am about 1/3 of the way finished with the body at this point. It's going faster now, and I really am enjoying the knit. Photos soon! After all, this is a knitting blog.

Odds and Ends and Alpacas

This week has been a whirlwind and here it is Saturday. I realized last night that I have not touched my knitting needles since Tuesday night, having been caught up in school stuff (Open House) and a secret project for Buddy B and his apartment. We've had weird weather here, too, which has been making my wrists ache.

Tuesday night was a surprise baby shower at Yarn Haven for a fellow knitter who is having her baby in two weeks. Elaine was thrilled! The Baby Banana socks were completed on time to give to her. Tuesday night Insanknitty was great fun with a baby theme. OK, Insanknitty is always great fun, but this was extra special.

Baby banana socks

Happy Momma-to-be

The secret project I mentioned won't be a secret tonight, so I can fill you in on that, and show you what I did. You might remember that B and I take students to Washington, D.C. and I take many, many photos on that trip. Buddy B always admires my photography, so I had some of my better photos enlarged and printed as black and whites. Then I matted and framed them to put in his new digs. They are all from our DC trip this past June; Arlington, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers, The U.S. Capitol Building, and a close up of the Dome on the Capitol.

Two of the photos, assembled in frames.

Mayhem and I had some fun today that was knitting related. We met Sarah Lou and her sister Brenda and baby niece Zoe at Yarn Haven to meet alpacas! Yes, real live alpacas. They were friendly, a little shy, but loved Mayhem once she started feeding them leaves that had fallen from the nearby maple tree. My kid loves animals. Could that be due to the fact that she IS an animal? ;-)

There's Sarah and Mayhem with the alpacas.

"We are sooooo cool!"

"Maaah"

Tonight is going out night! I have plans to see this: The Complete History of America (abridged). The show opened last night at The Toledo Rep, and B and I have tickets for 2nd row seats waiting for us. I'm looking forward to laughing myself silly.

Ya Gotta Kiss a Lotta Toads

I'm not a squeamish kind of mom. Today I was talking to Buddy B after lunch and Mayhem came running into the house. "I need a paper towel! There's a toad! I need to catch it!"

Paper towel??

Buddy B was laughing on the other end. "Just use your hands. That's what you would make me do," I told her.

"Good point," Mayhem replied, snatching a large amount of paper towels and dashing back outside with her bug jar. A few minutes later I was summoned to help.

"Better go help your kids," Buddy B told me. The kids and I had plans to head to Fossil Park to dig in the dirt and rocks anyway, so I said good-bye and hung up.

Mayhem with the toad in her bug jar

There's an old saying, maybe from a fairy tale, that says, "You have to kiss a lot of toads to find your handsome prince." I'm done kissing toads. I've found Prince Charming. While I'm not looking to get married again, a little happily ever after would suit me fine! Where did I find this wonderful love? Right under my nose. It's so much fun loving a best friend, and being loved in return. That's what I have been hinting at these past few days.

Mom shows how to catch a toad... and attempt photography.

I'll get you out of there soon, little dude!

For the past year and a half we have wanted to be together, but have not been able to, for many reasons. Now it looks like that all has changed and will *fingers crossed* work for us. Have you figured out who it is?