Where I've Been...

Have you been wondering about me? Here's what's going on! I have been to eleventy-billion softball games to watch Mayhem play. Her team is undefeated and just finished regular season play. Tournaments start next week! Not one single game was rained out.

The kids and I have been to The Toledo Zoo. The new children's area is beautiful, but geared toward little kids. My kids liked it, especially the "kids only" treehouse. We are really too grown-up for it, though.

Somehow, Mayhem was turned into a giraffe for a few moments.

One of my lifelong friends has the good fortune to finally be blessed with impending motherhood! I knitted a blanket for Linda's baby shower, and attended. We have known each other since Kindergarten, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Araucania pima cotton. All garter stitch.

The glowing Linda and a friend.

Bill and I again took a big group of 7th graders to Gettysburg andWashington, DC this year. Here's Bill and I at Mount Vernon. He's a big fan of President Washington. (I'm a Lincoln fan, myself.)
This year, my Absent-Minded Professor was old enough to go on the trip!

He was one of two students chosen to do the Wreath Laying Ceremony at The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier at Arlington.

My kid is wearing the red tie.

At the Lincoln Memorial, my favorite place in DC, all the kids ran up the steps, and Bill stopped me to have a very serious conversation. CJ took our photo afterward.

I said "yes"!!! I am the future Mrs. Bill. No date is set.


And the rollercoaster continues with pro baseball games and trips to Traverse City and swimming and swapping the kids back and forth with their dad...

Summer Homework

Loved ones. Family. Children. Smiling faces. Adventurous day trips. Playing.

Family. Loved ones. Daytime adventures.

Playing. Fresh fruit.

Flowers in the rain.

A tiny knitted sock. Sunset at the river.

Kids swimming in the pool. Laughter. Telling bad jokes. Sock yarns.

The Photos That
Capture Your Summer

The tiny knitted sock your son helped with

The kids playing together... nicely!

Raindrops on the lilies.

Show me in pictures what has captured your summer moments. Put them on your blog. Then send me a link in the comments. I'll offer up a yarny prize, (maybe two) from my stash by using a random number drawing.

All comments with links to your photos must be posted by midnight EST Sunday July 13.

Now go capture your summer!

Scenes of Summer

Daylilies in my backyard today.


The clematis climbing beside my backyard gate.

Last night's spectacular sunset, as seen from my back porch.

Make sure you take the time to watch the sun set this summer. Better yet, watch it with someone you care about. (Don't forget the mosquito repellant!)

Summer of Socks

It started at 5:00AM today! Summer of Socks! Yes, I am participating. As slowly as I knit socks, I hold no illusions that I will be winning any prizes, but I thought it would be fun to knit and play along.

Was I up at 5:00AM knitting socks? No. I was up at 6:30 doing laundry, though, and winding yarn. I have plenty of sock yarn ready for summer. Some new patterns, courtesy of The Loopy Ewe, are in the lineup. And there are even some new yarns to try out, thanks to the latest sneak up Sheri did there in the wee hours of this morning.

WIP's will be happening along with the socks, though. The BSJ has to be completed. The deadline of July 15 is coming soon. K2's little sister is expecting, and the baby shower is scheduled for that day. I'm hoping to complete some baby washcloths also, but won't cast on for them until the sweater is done. Blue Sky Alpaca cotton for those.

I am still working on the Log Cabin. It is growing and is wonderful. I still love it, and in the evenings, when the AC is chilly on my couch, it's a delight to work on! Mindless knitting. The Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece is not hard on one's hands like other cottons. I highly recommend this yarn! It's economical and washable.

The Banana Cabana socks are nearing completion. They won't count for the Summer of Socks, but they will be joining the FO ranks soon. They are so happy and cheerful! The ladies at Yarn Haven keep admiring the yarn from Cider Moon and I'm hoping they work out a deal with Jacki and Gail to carry it in the shop. Sometimes you can order it from The Loopy Ewe but it sells out quickly.

Today's agenda, along with knitting and laundry, was girl time. Mayhem and I picked up Aunt Chris and went for pedicures. (Mayhem got toe polish only.) And no, you can't see up my skirt. That's a skort! Enjoy peeking though. Hehehehee

It's Official! Summer is Here!

Last night it was still 85 degrees at 9:30 PM. I went outside with the dogs, and if the temperature wasn't enough to convince one that summer has arrived, I have other proof. Lightning bugs!

The arrival of the lightning bugs always marks the start of summer for us here. Mayhem and Absent Minded Professor had just been tucked into bed and I normally would have excitedly gone and fetched them to get their bug jars and join me in the backyard. They had school this morning and so did I. Tonight will be fine for catching the fireflies, I'm sure. My cousins in Germany told me last summer that they do not have these wonderful creatures there, and they took great delight in catching them with me and my kids while they were visiting here. I think we big kids had more fun than the under-18 aged kids.

Tomorrow morning Sarah and I head to Columbus for Knitters Connection. Our first road trip! Look out world, here we come!

Banana Cabana sock #2 is growing. Amazing how fast one can knit when the pattern is memorized!! I decided last night, after Mayhem found my Panda Cotton Strawberry Limes yarn, to cast on for another pair of socks as well. Really, it was more like I was coerced. I'm using the Just Ribbing pattern and will make them smaller for Mayhem. They're pink and green. (If you click on the link and scroll down you can see what the color looks like knitted up.)

No pictures today. How boring is that? Shhhh I'm at work and I'm in the middle of packing boxes. Really. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.