Unravellings...

Reflections on Customer Service...

2011-11-22T08:16:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure when it happened, and I may have discussed this here before, but I wonder when superior customer service became something to be surprised about, rather than expected. Maybe it's just me, but I find myself almost shocked to the point of real emotion when I am provided with service that (in the words of report cards) not only meets expectations but exceeds them

Case in point: Signature Needles.

I am lucky enough to have a few precious sets of these gorgeous tools of our trade, and I find that they add exponentially to my pleasure of knitting. My double points were a gift from my mother, and I subsequently treated myself to a couple of circular needles. They are divine. It's like the golfer who says that better clubs make for a better game - these needles really do elevate my hand knitting experience.

Some of you astute folks (yes, Anne, I'm looking at you) may recall that a year or so ago I started an Elizabeth Zimmermann Aran sweater from The Knitter's Almanac (and no, I didn't make everything in the book - that could be another post, though), using the wonderfully sheepy Bartlettyarns Fisherman's Wool, and my Signature circulars. Perfect combination of needle and yarn, just perfect. I took my time with this project, largely because it was such a pleasurable experience and I wanted to prolong it.

As I neared the end of my sweater, I noticed that the yarn would snag on one of the joins between cable and needle, but I couldn't see anything so I kept on.

Then I found this:

I felt just sick when I saw it - no idea what I did to actually tear the join - I'm not a tight knitter, I wasn't gnawing on it in frustration, it just didn't make sense. And I hadn't budgeted for another one.

So, I contacted the folks at Signature Needles, who asked for a picture of the damage. I sent them what you see here. Within 10 days, this came in the mail:

Shiny, pretty, new circular needles, for which I paid not a cent in postage or anything.

I thanked my contact at Signature Needles, but I wanted to gush and go on and on. Why? Because I'm no longer used to this level of service.

Before anyone says so, I realize I sound like an old fart, and that's fine. There's a strong possibility I may be on my way to that. But really, how does excellent customer service affect you? Is it just another day, or does it make your day?

It sure made mine...

As an aside, I am off tomorrow for my annual Thanksgiving yarn/latte trek through the Twin Cities and beyond with Kelly, who doesn't have a blog but absolutely should. I will be trying to blog with my iPad, and should even be able to post pictures...

see you state-side!

My name is Maggie

2011-11-19T09:38:00.001-05:00

and I am a carboholic...

I know I look innocent, but behind this facade of cute warm and fuzziness lies a dark, sneaky side.

You will note that, despite my darker nature, I know which end of the bag I'm supposed to hold.

The thing is, these people keep leaving stuff out for me. Or they forget to put me in my room when they go out, and the stuff is right there. It's not like I can help myself - I'm an ADDICT, people, I have no control.

I know I'm going to get into trouble, and Lord knows, it's not helping my middle-aged spread.

But I can't help it, truly. If I could figure out what to do with the carnage, I'd be set.

Notice that the healthiest option, the brown rice cakes, are unscathed.

I do pride myself on being methodical and relatively neat. And I'm not sure why they get mad at me when it happens, because, really, whose fault is it??

So, please, help me. Understand my problem. Love me in spite of it. You know you want to.

This message brought to you by Carboholics Anonymous - eating our way through life one loaf at a time...

Is it just me...

2011-11-17T12:48:00.001-05:00

or is the reason for her fabulous 12 week transformation not fairly obvious??

Not sure if it should be an ad for a personal trainer (which it is), or an OB-GYN...

(and yes, that's two today, to make up for the less-than-one of yesterday)

The age-old question...

2011-11-17T08:40:00.001-05:00

does this make me look fat?

And do NOT tell me "It's fine" or I'll smack you.

Back story: I made this sweater, Hathersage, last February. Loved the yarn, loved the look of the pattern but hated the finished product on me. I felt like a cozy, wool-wrapped blimp, and so never wore it. Oh, I tried it on periodically, hopefully, but never felt the love. So, I had plans to frog it and use the yarn for the Campus Jacket.

I finally brought it downstairs to rip out yesterday, but on a whim threw it on and went grocery shopping, giving it one last chance to impress me, a last-minute stay of execution. I still felt fat, and the boys thought it looked too boxy, but it was suggested that if I moved the buttons again (they're not even sewn on, they're attached with safety pins because I just couldn't get it right) it might actually be okay.

I am still giving serious thought to the Campus Jacket as I love it but will certainly NOT be buying yarn for it, but I guess needed to bounce this out there, give myself a visual to think about and maybe seek opinions. I am on a big sweater-ripping binge right now, currently frogging my February Lady sweater - it's like free yarn! - so I have no qualms about that.

Hmmm...

off topic, but still about the photo - look to the right mid-frame... that back room... a fluffy lump. Can't see it?

How about now?

That's Maggie, on "her" couch - she adopted it when she was a puppy, and now, 10 years later, it's the saddest piece of furniture I've ever seen. And yet, she loves it as it is - I've tried blankets and slipcovers just so I can stand it, but they are promptly ripped off and have even been shredded on occasion... the boys and I have agreed that we have to keep it for as long as she's here. Lucky dog.

It's only Tuesday...

2011-11-15T19:37:00.001-05:00

And I'm having a glass of wine...

Somehow I feel a little guilty about it, but I think that just adds depth to the taste...

I can rationalize anything

End of an Era...

2011-11-14T07:46:00.001-05:00

No exaggeration... today construction, or rather, demolition, starts in the rec room at my parents' home. Panelling will be ripped out, carpet torn up, old bathrooms dismantled, and this piece of family history will exist only in pictures and minds:

The bar.

Built by my uncle Fergus in 1967, it has been a real cornerstone in our family, and, like the rec room itself, is something I identify completely with Dad.

He was always either sitting in front of the bar in 'his' corner chair, or standing behind it (I can't find any photos right now but I know there are tons). Family events always had Dad holding court there, often surrounded by grandchildren and doing goofy things. The happy face mugs? Classic... been there the whole time. Countless hors d'oeuvres, drinks and cakes were served from there, and when kids got a little too rowdy, it was a safe haven for some of us to observe from.

Selecting (and emptying) the bottles is something I have some memory of my parents enjoying, and I think the selection accurately reflects their taste back then - Mateus, Casal Mendes, sweet, hurts-your-teeth-to-think-of-it stuff - and the bottles... oh, the bottles...

We all had our favourites, these are mine

In all honesty, I'm sure some of the paint worn off the monkey was from me patting it over the years.

Harder to see it go than I would have thought.

The fireplace opposite the bar, also built by my uncle, is staying but will be painted

Again, no pictures handy, but this, with the packed bookshelves that used to be over it, was the backdrop for countless configurations of family portraits.

Yesterday Mom and I finished dismantling one other key piece of our family's history, the blue faux leather couch (seen in pic of Dad making a face at the camera). It's been the site of so many things - TV dinners, I recovered from wisdom teeth surgery there, my brother Mike used to get up at noon as a teenager so he could lie on the couch, swathed in blankets, and spend his afternoons watching Scooby-Doo. And in more recent years it was the go-to site for the traditional Christmas Eve pictures of grandchildren.

My mom had bought it as a used couch and recovered it herself, and being very thorough, used maybe a vigintillion nails, as confirmed by the vigintillion holes in my hands today. The frame was gorgeous, solid hardwood of some sort - you'd never find that in furniture today - which was good because it held up through the decades of use we threw at it.

Mom seems excited about the prosper of changing it all, but she has always, to my mind, been happiest with a home decoration or renovation project on the go, and this is a big one.

So, truly, a huge part of our family's past - changing, modernizing, and hopefully getting ready for some new history to be made.

Tired...

2011-11-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

And sore, borderline migrainy - I'll be back tomorrow with a proper post, including such fascinating topics as cold prevention, and the end of an era...

It's the Weekend...

2011-11-12T14:57:00.001-05:00

Time to get your rock on!

Photo courtesy of The Kitten Covers

Funny Business

2011-11-10T16:04:00.001-05:00

So... Tanner is in grade 12 this year, which means either "victory lap" or continuing his education next fall. He has always had a strong flair for the dramatic, dressing up and making up 'plays' for he and his cousins to perform at family get-togethers. It's not surprising that he has found himself in the 'Specialist High Skills Major' (SHSM) program for Drama at Central High. He performs in musicals and plays, won an award for Excellence in Acting in a provincial competition last year and this year is considering writing and possibly directing his own play for the school's Spring Arts Festival.

So the focus and direction are there... the question is, where to take it from here?

This afternoon we went to Humber College in Toronto, so Tanner could learn more about something that has him genuinely excited - their Comedy Writing and Performance program. It's a two year diploma program with close ties to Yuk Yuk's comedy club, with guest lecturers like Colin Mochrie (whom I adore), Eugene Levy, and Billy Crystal, just to name a few.

The course names alone made me laugh, which I guess is good for a comedy program. Things like Stand-up Comedy, Improv, History of Comedy, Comedy Scriptwriting and Physical Comedy - nothing even remotely like the typical academic roster I'd guess most of us were confronted with at the college or university level.

He's a little excited. A LITTLE? Hell, I'm excited!!

I'm excited that he has such a specific interest, and that it can be met somewhere close to home. I'm excited that the program director seems very accommodating and reassuring, telling Tanner that, although an audition using a 2-minute self-written piece is required, most applicants aren't too good, and it's more fun than anything else. I'm most excited that he's so excited.

And yet... there's that part of me that was hoping he'd go for the extra semester at high school. Take a little extra time, improve some grades, hang out. Maybe stay young, need his mother, all that. It's quite something to be confronted with a college-aged kid who is so pumped about moving on. I feel like the work of raising him has been successful so far, as what we're ultimately trying to do is get them ready to go out into the world and find something that makes them happy. And we may well be on the way to that. And I am truly, genuinely glad for that.

And yet...

No rest for the wicked...

2011-11-09T16:52:00.000-05:00

or is it the weary? I've never been sure, but I am definitely in the latter category these days. Time change, of course, for which I am blaming Maggie's recent need to roust me every morning at 4:30AM for no apparent reason.

And we are busy, busy, busy. The boys, that is - I simply exist to do their bidding.

Both boys are involved in the school musical, to be performed WHILE I AM AWAY - my one trip a year without them and that's when it is. But there are rehearsals - daily rehearsals - going sometimes till 8 at night. There are guitar lessons and hockey games, and Tanner's newest stint, volunteering at our local TV station (his name was in the credits last week for the show he was working on, which was kinda cool).

And there are days, like today, when everything converges and our plans rely on a precisely timed flow of events, where just one thing being out of whack will spell certain disaster (read: tardiness) for the rest of the evening.

I don't do tardy well.

So, it's now 12 hours since I got up and I am making lasagna which has to be ready at precisely 5, which is the time the boys should be walking through the door.

And then everything else should be tickety-boo. Fingers crossed.

I will ignore the light that came up on my dashboard earlier this afternoon and assume it's a system glitch. I will simply focus on getting everyone where they need to be when they need to be there. I will make the ultimate sacrifice and forego my flannels until I have brought Tanner home, just after 9pm.

And I may bring some of this (The Plucky Knitter MCN Worsted, Plucky Classics collection) with me, because it makes me happy, soothes my tired old nerves, and feels soooooo good it might make me feel slightly less weary. Or wicked.

Ten on Tuesday...

2011-11-08T15:35:00.002-05:00

The topic this week is 10 things you do to care for yourself when you have cold.

I consider myself something of an authority on colds, as I would estimate I've spent between 1/3 to 1/2 of my life either suffering or recuperating from a cold. And I'm not talking a dainty, sniffling into a lace hankie kind of a cold. No, when I get a cold it's a major life-altering event... well, at least for the 5 - 7 days it's with me.

My face changes, my voice changes, I walk like Quasimodo and tend to communicate in low, guttural sounds.

So what do I do to take care of myself?

1. Medicate, medicate, MEDICATE. I abhor Neo Citran, but it is one of the few things that guarantees me at least a few hours of sleep.

2. Soup. Chicken, noodles or rice, vegetables or not - can't eat enough soup. I love homemade soup, but if I haven't had the foresight to freeze some then I'll take anything.

3. Rest. Usually easier said than done, but I try really hard to carve out some quiet, sitting still time. I have a hard time napping during the day, but I think that just sitting is an acceptable substitute. When I feel really crappy I don't even knit (shocked gasps!!), I just sit.

4. Kleenex. LOTS of it, at several key spots throughout the house.

5. Garbage bags accompanying said Kleenex boxes. I still remember my brother, who gets colds like I do, leaving piles of used Kleenex beside his chair or couch - drove my sister-in-law nuts, which I totally get. I am grossed out just typing it.

6. Flannel pyjamas. One of my favourite things for whatever ails me, fresh-from-the-dryer flannels never fail to make me feel a little better.

7. Email my mother and inform her of my condition. Sure, it's sucky and whiny, but she always feels sorry for me and that makes me feel better. Because even though I'm 50 on the outside, when I have a cold I'm 8 on the inside.

8. Drink tea. I am not a big tea drinker, although I am working hard to acquire a taste for matcha. Coffee is one of my elixirs of life (red wine being the other, naturally). However, I know when I'm sick because I can't stand coffee, and just want to be continuously sipping tea, preferably with honey.

9. Vicks vaporub. How old-fashioned can you get, right? But this is still the single best remedy for sinus clearing that I know. And it really does help with aches and pains, PLUS if you rub it on the soles of your feet it actually does stop coughing. No idea how that works, but I don't question it - I just know it does.

10. Sleep. Not always easy, but I usually go to bed ridiculously early, after a hot bath with eucalyptus-scented epsom salts, and try to sleep as much as possible.

In the last year or so, I have learned a few things to do to prevent colds, and I have to say that things have improved exponentially as a result, for me and for the boys. I'l talk about that tomorrow...

What else makes me feel better when I'm sick with a cold?

Oh, come on, I had to put in a picture of something... and they are exceptionally cuddly when any of us is sick...

So much material...

2011-11-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

So little time - seriously, it's after 8pm and pitch black outside, and although I spent the better part of my day on the computer, I don't have a real blog post prepared.

My computer work included installing Windows 7 on my Mac, then attempting to download AutoCAD 2011 to the Windows partition. I was stuck in an endless loop of "Please enter your email to activate your account" and, upon entering my email, being told that "this email is already active, please proceed", which returned me to the "activate your account" page again.

Hours, people, HOURS of looping, trying different things and always ending up in the same Catch-22 nightmare, until finally, I shut it down in a fit of pique. It was either that or smash my face into the screen.

Guess what?

Pique works.

Shut it down, turned it back on and damn if it didn't just load right up, all nice and proper-like.

So that was my Monday, with the addition of a 4:30am wake-up call (thank you Maggie) and a 6pm intensely sweaty cardio class... How was yours?

Dumb, dumb, dumb

2011-11-06T17:00:00.002-05:00

raked leaves... arms numb.... can't.... type

must.... warn...... others

and just so it's not a total bust:

Even intense squirrel watching looks better with Hipstamatic...

I yam what I yam...

2011-11-05T15:41:00.002-04:00

and sore is what I yam...

I've been exercising pretty regularly for a couple of years now, things like weights, yoga, pilates, walking - you know, all that stuff you're supposed to try to do and which I am finally enjoying, thanks to Sue and Lisa at Tread Powerfully.

Last Wednesday, I did a bootcamp/circuit kind of class, which included things like tossing medicine balls, countless pushups, jumping jacks, and chin-ups. I did well this week, better than ever, in fact. Unfortunately, I think I've blown out my forearms.

Not sure if it's even possible, but since Wednesday night my arms have gone from dead weight to intensely painful and crampy. No amount of stretching or massaging or soaking seems to help, and it's cutting into the rest of my life - hard to knit, hard to write, hard to walk the dogs, hard just to hold a hair dryer.

They look normal enough, my arms, which surprises me, because they feel like

So what's the moral of the story? Don't work your hardest in case you hurt yourself? Don't exercise beyond your comfort zone?

No, ultimately I think it's try your best, but keep lots of Advil - and wine - around for later. Not at the same time, of course...

Fun? Wow!

2011-11-04T15:14:00.002-04:00

I know, right? Who are you, and what have you done with Deirdre?

But, I figure this won't be too much of a stretch, as I'm always knitting anyways. This is just putting a deadline to it, which is fine. What might make it seem nuttier is that I'm going to try to make 2 sweaters this month. There we go... now we've moved to WTF?

Tanner has asked me to make him a sweater. He has very specific ideas of what he wants, and I think he just realized that by having me make it, he can pretty much design it as he wants to. It only took 17 years, but really, I'm not complaining (I complained vociferously yesterday, so I consider my complaint quota met... for a while).

We're going to use this:

Knit Picks City Tweed, which is a DK weight, so it's not bulky. I'm going to use the pouch from the Wonderful Wallaby pattern, then finish with a zip-up henley kind of neck and a collar. Oh, and the cuffs have to be TIGHT. And long.

See? Very specific ideas.

And since I'll be making something for Tanner, well, why not make something new for me? Ben hasn't asked for anything, and I don't have any major Christmas knitting planned, so why not?

Why not use this:

which I bought at Rena's Yarn in Dundas (no longer there) probably 16 years ago (Tanner was in a backpack carrier as I recall), to make this:

Unbelievably, it's the yarn called for in the pattern ('Killybegs' by Carol Feller), and I have enough of it, so it's all rather serendipitous, quite 'meant to be'.

Of course, I'm hoping that it's meant to be this month, and am planning to cast on both sweaters this weekend, while finishing up a couple of other projects that I'll talk about, maybe tomorrow.

Uh huh, that's right... fun? Wow!!

Testing

2011-11-04T11:48:00.001-04:00

Just want to see if I can post from my iPad, so I can keep this up while I'm in Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. Better post in the works, coming up later this afternoon...

Look, I'm doing it!!

2011-11-03T14:51:00.001-04:00

Sure it's only two days in a row, but with the interest of Sandra and SuzannaBanana, I'll keep at it, I'm sure - thank you guys!

So, what's new around these parts? One of the biggest things (literally) has been the almost year-long, still ongoing, renovation next door. Immediately next door. I have learned lots of valuable lessons during the course of the year, for example, construction workers seem to feel themselves to be above the bylaws that govern the rest of us (not starting work before 7am, not parking illegally, not blocking driveways for extended periods of time), and they don't take kindly to having those bylaws enforced (ask me how I know).

I've learned that there is no point in dusting with a project this size going on next door, as the dust makes it's way through closed windows and doors and is everywhere, all the time. The noise is perpetual, whether from power tools, noisy trucks, or the workers themselves yelling at each other, often as early as 6:30am, and none of it ever achieves the status of 'background noise'.

I think ultimately I've learned that current and longstanding residents, in our case some as long as 40 years, have very few rights when confronted with a project like this, and that in the end, the rights belong to those self-entitled few who hold the purse strings. Or their fathers, who really hold the purse strings.

Bitter? Me? Nah... I've just been living through this:

becoming this:

You can see the remnants of the original house, with at least double the width, and more than double the depth.

I know that, from my perspective, a word from the new buyers prior to starting construction would have gone a long, LONG way towards establishing a greater level of tolerance. As it stands now, a few of us in our little cul de sac are now in a position of open warfare - well, okay, maybe mostly me - but it is ON. I gladly summon our useless city representatives - or less frequently, the police - to help maintain some semblance of order on the street, and have become virtually fearless when dealing with the workers themselves.

So, that's a little of what's new in these parts - there's been lots of much more positive stuff, too, but I was having words with one of the aforementioned workers this morning at 5:45am, and I needed to vent.

Tomorrow, we get positive!

Since I can't grow a moustache...

2011-11-02T16:10:00.001-04:00

I'm going to try NaBloPoMo instead - I've signed up, I've committed to posting once a day through the month of November, so we'll see what happens.

It's a weird thing, me and blogging - I love to write - I have a certificate in writing, for Pete's sake - and am perpetually writing blog posts in my head. Somewhere between my head and my keyboard, though, the spark dies. Not sure why, but maybe this will help me get over it...

so here we go...

Guess what I did over the weekend?

2011-09-06T14:34:00.002-04:00

Because apparently I don't have enough yarn that's been dyed by other people...

Well...

2011-05-15T20:37:00.001-04:00

I guess if it's recommended by a doctor...

(seen at Cancun Airport, May 11, 2011)

True Confessions...

2011-04-20T20:20:00.002-04:00

35 years ago, almost to the day, I skipped Grade 9 Home Economics to go downtown Hamilton with Mary Lynne Curtis and buy a Rush t-shirt I had been eyeing for some weeks. We got caught, and my 15th birthday was one of my most unpleasant, and yet memorable, birthdays on record.

Last night, in a circle-closing kind of thing, I went to Copps Coliseum with the boys and their dad to see Rush perform. Now, I've never been a serious fan, make no mistake, I just liked the t-shirt.

But in over 30 years of avid-concert-going, I will state here that last night's performance by Rush was the BEST show I've ever see. Bar none.

What do I like about Rush?

These are three regular but extremely intelligent guys, locally grown, with little pretension. There are no feather boas, no tantrums in hotel rooms, no obvious sex-starved groupies; just three guys who love to make music. They had no opening band, they played for three hours with a 20-minute break, and they looked like they were having fun doing it.

The highlight for me, apart from very entertaining videos that led into some of their most popular songs, was Neil Peart's drum solo. His drum kit is a beautiful thing - that's right, I'm waxing poetic about drums. But these are truly gorgeous: copper-coloured, rotating, dazzling drums. And what he does with them you feel in your stomach and throat - just amazing. I've always had a weakness for percussion, and this more than met my expectations.

I have never really appreciated Alex Lifeson's skill as a guitarist, but to hear him play an acoustic guitar solo leading into Closer to the Heart? I get goosebumps just recounting it.

And Geddy Lee - so his voice has mellowed some over the years, which for me is a good thing. But watching him completely shred the bass, while jumping around and looking, in all honesty, like a long-haired, sneakered teenager just having fun... well, it was inspired.

These guys know how to put on a show - a few special effects and pyrotechnics, but mostly relying on their own skill and showmanship. I am stunned by how much I enjoyed the show.

Do I love their music?

not 100% - if it's a song where I can't sing along or find a steady rhythm, not so much.

Would I see them again?

IN A HEARTBEAT!

Would I recommend them?

ABSOLUTELY - just bring earplugs (we didn't, and for being only three guys playing up there, it's amazing that I still can't hear out of my left ear).

So there you go - the circle of Rush... not a bad start to this new era of which we shan't speak - we shall simply call it spring, and speak of it no more.

WTF?????

2011-03-23T12:31:00.005-04:00

Woke up to 4" of this stuff, two more have fallen since shovelling around 8am, and it is STILL coming down. No snow day for us, of course, which would have taken a little of the sting out...

I was so happy that the back yard had finally dried so no mud was being tracked in, and now we have to start all over again...

Spring, my ass...

Things I've Learned

2011-02-25T08:50:00.002-05:00

1. Skunks don't hibernate. A life-long belief crushed in one night.

2. According to Ben, the smell of grilled cheese with a skunk overlay is what Chinese food smells like. Explains his lack of enthusiasm for it.

3. The smell of skunk permeates an entire house in no time flat, and lingers indefinitely.

4. Having your windows open in -5C weather constitutes sweater weather. And mitten weather. And hat weather.

5. As always, knitting to the rescue.

6. Digression: after a certain age, catching one's reflection looking down (as over a toaster) is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

7. Wine helps diminish both skunkiness and wrinkles/chicken neck which were obviously exaggerated while looking down over the toaster.

No pics because who wants to see an upside-down chicken neck?

red in the morning...

2011-02-16T07:13:00.002-05:00

I know it doesn't bode well for the rest of the day, but it certainly makes for gorgeous sky-watching while having my coffee...

Nope...

2011-02-10T08:18:00.005-05:00

Not a hostage hoping for rescue or ransom...

But an exercise in felting...

don't you love what we can do with sticks, string and a little hot water?

Bet you thought I forgot...

2011-01-13T09:48:00.007-05:00

didn't you?

Well, I didn't, so nyah...

I am taking my time with this, because I forgot how much

I love the feel of sheepy wool (Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-ply) and cables

with the perfect needles (Signature circulars).

So it's coming along, and since I don't think I'll be making baby things as in EZ's February installment, I'll hopefully finish this and some other things...

How much...

2010-10-18T12:31:00.007-04:00

How much knitting can one do on an 8-hour car ride to and from Cleveland, OH?

One hat's worth.

And a couple more inches on a sweater that will be wonderful when finished, but is sort of a slog right now...

Project: Notre Dame de Grace by Veronik Avery

Yarn: Spud & Chloe Sweater

Needle: 4.5mm

Started: September 21, 2010

Of course, the next obvious question is: why would one want to drive for 8 hours to and from Cleveland OH?

To visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, naturally...

Unfortunately one cannot take pictures in the Hall of Fame, so one has to rely on one's not-always-reliable memory (yeah, even after only 2 days, I'm fuzzy on a few things). However, pictures of the Hall of Fame are permitted.

We took Tanner and Ben, as part of Tanner's 16th birthday gift, and it was AMAZING. 6 floors of artifacts and information: hand-written notes for songs by the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, musical instruments (Jerry Lee Lewis' piano, Eric Clapton's guitar), clothes (Freddy Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon's Sgt. Pepper uniform). Some of my favourites were the utterly outlandish outfits worn by Hendrix, according to the plaque, "both on stage and in every day life". Seriously, if you saw someone coming towards you in the grocery store in some of these things, you'd be calling for back-up.

There were some things I didn't understand, like, how did Rod Stewart get inducted 5 years before Paul McCartney? And where was Stevie Ray Vaughan? Or Chicago? Come on, people - Iggy Pop and the Stooges are there, but Stevie Ray is not?

All in all, though, a great weekend trip - we stayed in downtown Cleveland, within walking distance of restaurants, the Hall of Fame and lots of other things we were too tired to see; perfect weather; no delays at the border; and I got to knit there and back... all very civilized.

And now we're heavy into autumn, the leaves are falling (which translates to: must start raking soon), and temperatures are dropping faster than I'd like. You'd think, me being a knitter, that I'd love a little extra crispness in the air so I could wear sweaters, but in fact, I am happiest with the hot, humid weather we had so much of this summer. I'm kind of surprised that it's so fall-like already, but I think I've lost about 6 weeks, and am slowly reacquainting myself with what's around me.

So, we move on into "the new normal", which really is anything but, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Coping...

2010-10-10T11:26:00.008-04:00

France, 1991

or a reasonable facsimile thereof...

Life is moving on, although slowly and sadly. My brothers and I are stunned by how difficult this is, particularly in light of the fact that we are all middle-aged (and then some), and Dad was 75. I think the suddenness and unexpectedness of it all, along with the realization of loss and change and impermanence, has clobbered us hard. And if it's this hard for us, I really can't imagine how hard it is for Mom.

So we plod along as best we can, with days that seem okay, and days that are unbearably painful. My parents' 51st anniversary was on Friday - not a good day. We are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I think that will be an okay day. The days in between are hard to predict, but I am always grateful for a non-crying day; these are happening more and more frequently.

So I am knitting, but not with any enthusiasm. What I have done is FINALLY figured out my rigid heddle loom, which I find completely weird. I have been stumped for the past couple of years, having so much difficulty just warping the damn thing. Now, unable to concentrate on much of anything, I am suddenly able to figure this out.

So I made this for Kelly's birthday: 1 and a bit more skeins of Sanguine Gryphon "Bugga".

One thing that I am finding very comforting, or rather, one person, is Elizabeth Zimmermann. I read and re-read her books as a matter of course, but for some reason, I am turning to her almost exclusively right now.

Which leads me to thoughts of a new project for the new year... I think I'm going to work my way through Knitters' Almanac beginning in January 2011. I will follow the projects faithfully, except for those things that I know I'll never wear, or be able to persuade anyone else to wear (nether garments, anyone?). In those cases, I'll substitute another Zimmermann project.

So, does anyone want to play with me?

2010-09-10T07:38:00.005-04:00

I'm not sure when I'll be back - we are trying to cope with the very sudden and unexpected loss of my dad, the man who among so many other things, taught me to appreciate a good beer.

When I can think more coherently, maybe I'll tell you a little bit more about him - he was quite a splendid chap, our Joe.

Eat your heart out, Miracle Gro

2010-08-15T20:01:00.003-04:00

At the end of May, I planted a few edibles in the garden - I stuck some peppers and tomatoes in the only sunny flower bed on the property, and put two cherry tomato plants in pots near the patio, one red, one golden.

Things have gone swimmingly; we've been able to pluck cherry tomatoes while sitting outside at the table to toss into our salads or mouths, and barring a few unforeseen circumstances (like dogs surreptitiously helping themselves to a few ripe peppers, branches and all), we've had plum, black (honestly, BLACK) tomatoes, and white and chocolate brown peppers.

Lately, though, things have gotten a little, er, out of hand. In the space of about a week, my cherry tomato plants have gone from civilized, staked, well-behaved individuals to this:

Note: dogs added for scale, but against their will

I have no idea where the stakes have gone, I cannot even find the pots they're planted in, and this cherry tomato jungle has encroached on the lawn to the point where I have to cut a wide swath around it, because frankly, I'm afraid to get it mad.

I'm currently listening to The Tommyknockers, by Steven King, about the effects of alien nuclear power on a town, and, well, I'm just saying things have gotten VERY weird and out of hand here, and really, who knows where aliens might find themselves... there have been some new people in the neighborhood recently, and none of us knows much about them at all...

I'm afraid...

Life Lessons

2010-07-31T12:25:00.003-04:00

# 317 - when painting, always put brushes away during even the shortest break, particularly when living with curious dogs who will not admit their guilt, but who are nonetheless guilty without question.

Case in point:

black dog, newly whitened nose tip

# 138(a) - always remove the plastic insert from a new deodorant stick prior to application.

# 138(b) - after scraping one's underarm raw with said plastic insert, it is not then advisable to immediately remove the insert and reapply deodorant. Such "rash" action can lead to severe pain, speaking in tongues and dance moves to rival Elaine Bennis.

Today's post brought to you by...

2010-07-20T08:45:00.002-04:00

10 Things to Bring on a Camping Trip

We haven't actually "camped" in a few years (the thought of sleeping on a small tent right beside their mom seems 'awkward' to teenaged boys - who knew?), but when we did, there were some definite staples to include (apart from the obvious, like TENT or SLEEPING BAG):

1. Knitting (well, duh...)

2. Books (again with the duh)

3. Camera (I've always wanted a waterproof one, but we've managed without)

4. Inflatable sleeping pad - I am definitely of an age when I like my comforts, and the last time we camped I borrowed a sleeping pad with down in it - my kind of roughing it

5. Chairs - not fancy, just basic keeping-my-ass-off-the-ground kind of chairs

6. Wine - just one bottle, poured into a metal bottle, which is allowed - one glass a night by the campfire just takes the edge off

7. Smores supplies - messy, gooey, but keeps the kids entertained (and stuffed) for hours

8. Bear spray - we never came face to face with one, but I heard them sniffing outside the tent more than once. My question is how does one get close enough to the bear to use the spray effectively without becoming an appetizer? And still, I find it comforting to have nearby...

9. Bug spray - some of us have major insect issues, and must be well-sprayed in order to enjoy the outdoors. I'm not naming names, I'll just say it's not me.

10. Good coffee - something about an early morning campsite, dew-covered ground sparkling in the early sunshine, silence but for birds, and the small of coffee brewing on a Coleman stove... mmmm....

I could go on - fishing rods, for example - but I'll stop here and imagine I'm tucked away in the woods by a lake somewhere...

Top Ten Tuesday

2010-07-13T08:50:00.003-04:00

I thought it might push me to be a little more, um, regular in my communications if I tried something like a Top Ten list, although I'll be back in a day or two with a What I Did This Summer Part I post -

so, 10 Things I Like About Where I Live:

1. We are less than 10 minutes by bike to the shores of Lake Ontario, with real beaches and everything.

2. The Burlington, ON "core", where I live, has a small-town feel - we can walk/bike to the library, Starbucks, and the kids' orthodontist.

3. Our town is a relatively short drive to so many wonderful attractions: Niagara Falls (45 min); Toronto (40 - a zillion minutes, depending on traffic); Muskoka / Algonquin Park (2 - 3 hours); wineries (40 minutes in the Niagara direction, 3 hours to Prince Edward County); FABULOUS beaches (10 minutes down the street; 3 hours to Sandbanks and plenty in between).

4. Our house is two blocks from school, so the kids can and usually do come home for lunch.

5. Ours is an old, established neighborhood, with lots of huge trees and heritage houses, which makes it great for strolling.

6. The downtown core is being fixed up (perpetually), and there are cute shops, boutiques and restaurants all within walking distance.

7. In addition to Starbucks, there's a Coffee Culture and even a Second Cup within walking distance, so no caffeine hankering goes untended.

8. I like walking.

9. We live on a very quiet cul de sac populated by mostly boys, so it's always easy to get a road hockey game going, if you like that sort of thing.

10. I have followed the "smallest house in the best neighborhood" adage. Ours is a cute, small-ish cottagey thing surrounded by a few $1million+ properties. Put it this way: Thursday is lawn service day on our street. I cut the grass on Fridays.

So there you go, 10 reasons I love to live in Burlington!

What can I say, but...

2010-06-18T19:06:00.000-04:00

BEST.

MOVIE.

EVER.

The places we've gone, the things we've seen...

2010-06-16T14:34:00.001-04:00

The places we've gone, the things we've seen...
Originally uploaded by deerj

A very, very small sample of things we've been up to in recent months - and there are more photos of the dogs not because I prefer them to my children, but because they don't have a say in how often their pictures appear here...

the kids do...

Hey, how's it going?

2010-06-14T08:56:00.004-04:00

Yeah, it's been a while. What have you been up to? Me? Oh, the usual... you know, kids, dogs, knitting, life -

so I'm not making any huge promises here, but I am going to try to push through my mojo-less state and get myself back out here...

I'll be tossing up pics of life in the last many months periodically, but I am going to start with this, which excites me thoroughly:

CSK = Community Supported Knitting - don't you just love the sound of that??

So I'll be back soon - not saying when exactly, but soon... really, I mean it...

Milestones

2009-09-13T14:24:00.003-04:00

Hey, I just noticed that my last post was my 200th... sure, they've been irregular, but wow, I'm kind of impressed... maybe for the 250th I'l have a contest or something - which should be easy pickings as I believe there are only a few, select people who read me...

another milestone:

the first day of school, going into grades 10 and 8 in the order shown above - the first week has been survived, everyone still intact, homework minimal so far, but riot acts have been read, expectations for the year CLEARLY delineated... we'll see how things go

and I consider this a milestone: the KW Knitters' Fair, which my mom and I attended yesterday, along with a whole whack of enthusiastic people. Big crowd, 80-ish vendors in two big rooms, lots and lots to choose from. As in Portland, I was quite restrained, although I did buy a pack of 10 skeins of Manos Silky Blend as I walked in the door... the Purple Purl booth was right there, and they are so nice and friendly, and well... you know...

If I can fiddle with the numbers (different gauges, of course), I think it'll be a Varese hoodie for me in the very near future.

I FINALLY met Sandra - YAY!!! - I don't know how you felt, Sandra, but I was totally comfortable chatting with you, felt like I've known you for ages - so cool to finally meet someone you've been emailing and blog-reading with for a while, and find yourself friends in person - I tend to be pretty reserved, so it's such a treat to connect with people...

Mom and I spent a good 2 hours indulging ourselves in a mature, controlled manner (no sarcasm, we were very good) - I did pick up a Fiddlehead mitten kit from Tanis Fiber Arts, and spoke a bit with Tanis and her mom, both of whom are just lovely - such a talented fibre artist, Tanis - her colours are spectacular! I may have bought a bit more than the kit, and I may show it off later. Or if you're keen, you may want to peek at my Ravelry stash and appreciate the colours yourself... to die for... and there may be some further Tanis in the near future, if I make it out to the Purl next weekend for the February Lady KAL photo op.

and now we find ourselves back in the routine, back to the grind, with barely a hint that we had a vacation at all... why is it that it takes (well, for me anyways) at least a week to unwind and get into vacation mode, but only a couple of days at most to get out of it?

These are the times

2009-08-31T17:08:00.002-04:00

I sent the boys and their best friend off to a nearby pizzeria to buy themselves lunch today, because (a) it seems like a fun end-of-summer thing to do, and (b) I have minimal food in the house, and there was no time for grocery shopping.

When they came home, they presented me with this

There's a candle stuck in the watermelon, which they very thoughtfully did not light.

accompanied by a spontaneous, rousing version of Happy Birthday. It's not my birthday.

I have been giggling about their silliness all afternoon.

So, these seem to me to be the times remembered, to help one through the inevitable kaka that comes with two teenaged boys. Remind me about this when I need it, okay?

Same bat time, same bat channel...

2009-08-30T15:44:00.003-04:00

yeah, I know, I just dated myself...

so I had someone from the Humane Wildlife Removal Association come by to check things out, and see if our toilet plunger target had any friends hanging around. After climbing all over the roof, peeking into the attic, and looking in the garage rafters (all while wearing a black t-shirt with "Bat Guy" in huge yellow letters, which was no doubt comforting to the neighbors), my house was declared "clean". Happy news, considering bat removal would cost in excess of $1000, and frankly, if I'm going to spend that much, it should be on something fun.

So imagine my surprise when I went into the garage the next morning and narrowly missed stepping on a dead bat. WTF is going on around here???!!!! My first thought was that if anyone found it, I would be charged with killing a bat. Oh, did I forget to mention it's illegal to kill bats? I love this - they damage your home, have highly toxic droppings, can bite you in your sleep, and are frequent carriers of rabies... but they are protected by the law. If some guy broke into my house I could shoot him legally, but I can't kill a bat. Someone please explain this to me - even after a couple of beers it still makes no sense.

I think I have figured out how the first one got in - climbed through the garage, through the air vent in my bedroom which is DIRECTLY BEHIND MY HEAD. Why yes, I am a little freaked. And no, no I haven't been sleeping all that well of late. I have been through the garage with a flashlight, and found nothing (THANK GOD) and will be going out again when I'm done this to look more closely - think happy thoughts.

Thankfully, the boys and I headed out for a couple of days at Sandbanks, and we lucked into the best day of the week - sunny, windy, hot - I love this place, it's good for the soul, and the boys are still not so grown-up that they don't enjoy climbing the huge dunes only to pitch themselves back down. And repeat ad naseum.

I was the only one who braved the water, but it was surprisingly warm - I do love lake swimming...

We made our traditional stop at The Big Apple for the traditional photo op, for which they were less than pleased, as is our tradition.

And now we are home till school starts in a couple of weeks - way too soon for me, but I seem to be in the minority. Although I just checked in on them , and my 13 year old and nearly (gasp) 15 year old are dissolved in laughter over jokes about farts and penises. So maybe school's not so bad.

Some knitting - I am very close to finishing my Heather Hoodie Vest, made from very well aged Cherry Tree Hill bulky merino;

and am working away on the 3rd reincarnation of my Cookie A-inspired sock, which I started at her Sock Summit class. I love it, and I think it'll look good when done. And it's complicated enough that I stay focused, but no so much so that it frustrates me.

Lord know, there's enough of that going around right now...

Off to check the garage - happy thoughts, happy thoughts...

I've got some good news...

2009-08-19T18:23:00.003-04:00

and some not-so-good news...

good news is, the air conditioner is fine - it seems that one of Ben's friends inadvertently turned off the furnace switch, thinking he was turning on a basement light... fortunately, the service call was free and the technician was most understanding. And I'd just like to clarify, I love the heat - I don't complain about it ever as far as my own comfort goes; I can sleep in anything, knit in anything - just ask my mom. But the dogs and the boys were absolute puddles, and I felt badly for them, especially my velcro-dog, Charlie, who will not leave my side regardless of the circumstances.

more good news - summer weather seems to be here, and is expected to continue through next week, which will hopefully give us a good time at Sandbanks...

the not-so-good? Well, I woke up this morning, around 3:30, to a sound which I thought was a bird in the eavestrough outside the window beside my bed. I tried to get back to sleep, but the sound kept on, and started to sound closer than outside. So--- I figured it might be a mouse, and rolled onto my back, debating what to do. Something swooshed over my face, and in a total panic I realized it was

a BAT - in my bedroom - flying over my head.

I am not a screamer by nature, but boy, did I let loose with a howl, which certainly didn't help matters; in a small (very), calm (not so much) part of my brain I watched this thing react to the sound and alter its flight path accordingly. Fortunately the boys were at their dad's last night, but the dogs were right in there, trying to "help" by springing about in the air and snapping wildly. I was absolutely PETRIFIED - I cannot stress this enough - and grabbed the only weapon I could find - a toilet plunger - swinging at the thing until I finally connected with it. I bagged it, brought it outside and let it go, because... well, I don't know, I just did.

I think it may have slipped in when I had the door open to let the dogs out last night, but I called a bat removal service just to have them do an inspection, because I know that bats live in colonies. Big groups. Many bats. Perhaps in my attic. Makes me all shuddery just to think of it. The cost for bat removal STARTS at $1000 for all the places I called, so I'm hoping this was just a lone, free mutant bat trying to make a statement. Maybe running away from home to show his parents and million other colony neighbors.

Fingers crossed...

In the meantime, I am starting to feel like Marlon Perkins from Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" - remember him? Every time turn around there is another goddamned animal that doesn't belong here, but seems to want to.... maybe I should start filming this... make a reality show... maybe I could make enough to pay for bat removal...

so here's to more good news... please??

Mysteries of Life... the Ongoing Saga

2009-08-16T13:08:00.002-04:00

Can anyone explain to me why, in the midst of the only heat wave we've had in Southern Ontario all summer, my air conditioner has stopped working?

Oregon Wrap-Up

2009-08-13T12:35:00.004-04:00

I am still feeling almost hung-over from last week, but have come home to full-blown SUMMER, so yay!

I was lucky enough to get out to Cannon Beach while in Oregon - I skipped the book signing event, which I knew would be busy and I am not one for crowds, and I'm usually too tongue-tied when I meet people I admire to do anything other than blush and babble - not pretty - so instead I headed to the coast, about 1.5 hours from Portland.

There were mountains, spectacularly tall pine trees, there was drizzle and sun and cloud, and then there was the best beach I have ever seen... ever

I fell very seriously in love with the gigantic rock formations in the water, the largest of which was covered with screeching seagulls. I love the size of this beach - it goes on for miles, and is the widest I've ever seen - vast expanses of flat, solid, excellent walking sand. Even in crappy weather, it was amazing.

The trees in front of the houses have obviously seen a lot of weather - they actually grow like this!

Fabulous place - there were surfers, and jellyfish, and mountains topped with clouds, and even a motorized para-sail thingy - there were dogs all over the place just having a ball, and no signs anywhere suggesting they shouldn't be there (here in Burlington, our little beach is laden with anti-dog signs, which people largely ignore).

So I dipped my feet in - it was FREEZING!!! - which I think brings my ocean total to 4? Atlantic (Hilton Head), Pacific (here), Caribbean (Mexico) and Mediterranean (Greece) - I know, I know, only 2 are actually oceans... indulge me...

The trip home on Sunday took a little longer than expected - found out in Vancouver that the flight to Toronto had been delayed by 2 hours, which was annoying but out of my control, so I plugged in my ipod, took out my knitting and passed the time quite contentedly. I saw some more mountains at the airport, and realized when I got on the plane that I'd made quite a bit of progress on my Vesper sock, which had been my mindless knitting since leaving for Portland.

I believe we landed around 3:30AM, and learned from the shuttle driver on the way to my van that the power was out all over because of a humungous lightning storm - which explained the flight delay - so trying to make my way out of the parking lot with no lights, and paying a girl who was working cash with a flashlight made it all even more surreal than it normally would have been at 4:15AM.

All well worth the experience, though, I'd do it again in a shot...

Can you say Sock Summit the Second???

Is it possible to have a knitting hangover?

2009-08-10T16:14:00.003-04:00

Why, yes. Yes it is. And all it took was 4 days of Sock Summiting to prove it.

Since Thursday, I have:

* learned fabulous techniques with Cat Bordhi and Cookie A;

* been thoroughly entertained while learning more about sock yarns with Clara Parkes (honestly, if the knitting thing doesn't work out for her, she could be a stand-up comedienne);

* watched Stephanie and Tina, organizers par excellence, go from laughter to tears and back again while describing the birthing process of this incredible baby;

* watched young people becoming enthralled with an ancient art;

* barely avoided being trampled upon by the tsunami of knitters running into the Marketplace for the initial opening;

* shopped a little (really - I was so restrained I was almost worried about myself);

* been part of an historic (well, I think so) attempt (oh, come on, we're pretty sure we did it) to break the previous Guiness World Record for most people knitting simaltaneously (old record = 256, our number = almost 1,000);

* sat ONE TABLE AWAY from Barbara Walker, Meg Swansen, Anna Zilboorg, Nancy Bush, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts at the Opening Reception;

* learned that even the elite can be star-struck, as Cat Bordhi gushed excitedly in our class about sitting next to Barbara Walker at dinner and actually talking with her;

and just so much other stuff it'll have to follow in another post. After getting home at 5am today, and being rudely awakened by a telemarketing call at 8am (gotta love the Don't Call List, works like a charm...), I am hovering at the edge of incoherence.

But I'll be back with more...

Ready... I think

2009-08-04T18:54:00.002-04:00

Well, my bags are packed, yarn is wound, homework is done... I feel like my head is going to explode every time I check the Sock Summit group on Ravelry, so I'll stop looking...

after what promises to be a long day of travelling tomorrow (starting when I get up around 3:30AM - I am in denial), I will be spending the next 4 days in the company of thousands of like-minded folk, learning about socks, knitting socks, buying sock-related things in Portland, Oregon - never been out west before, am SO excited...

It'll be so nice to play for a while -

pictures and stories, possibly ad naseum, upon my return - catch y'all next week!

So my question is this...

2009-07-23T15:41:00.003-04:00

as seen in the bathroom of our cottage at the Blue Spruce Resort

if it's strong enough to actually bleach towels, do you really want to use it on your face???

So what else have you got??

2009-07-17T15:18:00.002-04:00

The boys and I are back from our annual sojourn to the Blue Spruce Resort on Oxtongue Lake.

The weather was 80% cold and wet, 20% sunny and hot, but we still had a fabulous time.

Lots of reading, Monopoly-playing (Ben kicked butt), semi-wildlife

Not that he's desperate or anything

This guy pecked at my toes thinking they were peanuts - he has a very sharp beak...

Landed just beside us as we walked through the Algonquin Logging Museum

some picnicking

At Lake of Two Rivers, just before a school of canoes filled with Japanese tourists pulled in directly in front of our table and started snapping photos - I kid you not

but only a little knitting, some of which I'll show you now (other photos haven't been uploaded yet) -

ask me why there was only a little knitting - go ahead...

well, on our first night I broke the middle finger of my left hand, not battling wild animals with a canoe paddle or anything, but playing tetherball...

for god's sake

I managed the week, was able to canoe a little, knit a little, drink maybe more than a little (not really, not when the boys are there, it just makes it sound better), but after not being able to bend it for 10 days, I went to our local Urgent Care clinic to have it looked at.

Broke a chunk off my middle knuckle, and have to keep the finger taped to it's neighbor until I see the plastic surgeon next week to discuss what happens next.

As if that's not bad enough, we are three weeks to Sock Summit, which I find myself fortunate enough to be attending. I've even gotten into the classes I wanted, and am totally pumped about this huge adventure.

Unless I have to have surgery.

Okay, so I am in a funk about my hand. While we were gone I had a call from the kennel, informing me that Charlie had a rash which needed to be seen by the vet. He came home like this and commenced head-butting me until I took the thing off.

Two nights ago, I went out in the backyard with the dogs around 11:30 for their nightly ablutions. Maggie suddenly dove into and charged out of a bush, spat something out and continued spitting. Charlie plowed out of another bush sneezing and shaking his head. Turns out that what I thought were bunnies living under our back porch are, in fact,

SKUNKS.

Maggie found an injured baby and was carrying it, but I am guessing didn't like the taste. Charlie got a full-on spray in the face. We spent a good hour shampooing and sneezing and swearing (some of us more than others). I called Animal Aid the next morning to come and get the injured baby skunk, and was told that they do not help with getting rid of them but could refer me to a fairly pricey service who might help.

Charlie still stinks, and he knows it. I have been using this stuff recommended by the local pet store - using it a couple of times a day on the poor guy, and still when he leaves the room it's like shades of Pepe LePew...

and we're only into the 3rd week of summer vacation...

so come one - what else have you got?????

Hope everyone else's summer has been a little less eventful...

Canada Day

2009-07-01T10:45:00.002-04:00

I'm not going to say "Happy Canada Day" because I find, for holidays other than Christmas, New Year's or birthdays, it just sounds silly. Like, Happy Easter. Just sounds all wrong to me, I don't know why.

Not to say that I am not happy to be a Canadian, nor that I don't think our country and heritage is worth celebrating. Couldn't be further from the truth. I just don't like wishing people Happy Canada Day, and I need a word other than silly to explain why.

My day today is a gift... most things are closed, so I can't go anywhere. I have little $$ right now, which is further incentive to lay low. My kids are off on their annual 'Lord of the Flies' RV trip with their dad and one of their friends. So I shall putter.

Lord, how I loves me a day to putter.

While it's decent out, I shall putter in the garden. When it rains, as is promised for later, I'll putter inside. One advantage to living in a relatively clean but disorganized house is that there is endless puttering to be done. Tonight, I join a similarly-childless friend for wine and (weather permitting) fireworks-watching on her beachfront.

Happy to be Canadian? You betcha. Just don't make me say it.

Wow

2009-06-28T13:49:00.002-04:00

It's only been, what, 11 days or so since my last post? (Catholic school flashback - making a confession and having to say how long it had been since my last confession... )...

lots of things happened while I was away... there were birthdays

Ben turned 13, which I find utterly shocking, and I aged a little more too - let's just say that 50 no longer seems as old as it once did...

there was a trip which was heartbreakingly cut short due to Swine Flu - and if I may digress for a sec, without minimizing the effects or spread of this disease, what I saw in Mexico confirmed for me that the biggest problem with it was media overreaction -

there were no signs of anything, not even concern, where we were, not at the airport on the way home or on the planes as we scooted home on the last flight out of Cancun until June... do I feel like we dodged a bullet by leaving early? Hell, NO.

Frankly, this, spotted on the highway from Cancun, scared me more than anything else I saw

There has been gardening, and new transient occupants in the garden .

There's even been some construction

Before:

After: - well, it's not 100% after, but I'll post a final pic when it's actually done.

Heck, there's even been knitting and other fibre games, but I'll be back with those in a bit - right now I'm off to paint a wall or two...

Oh, the Irony...

2009-06-16T08:33:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love how some people love to spout off about how great they are, how, oh, I don't know, virtuous they are... and then they just drop off the face of the earth?

I do...

I have/hopefully had lost my blogging mojo - I have written more posts in my head than I can count , but have had no ooomph to actually write them down. And putting up pictures??? Puh-lease...

lots has happened since last we spoke - there have been birthdays (Ben is now 13!!!!!, although he insists that he will not be teen-like; and I am now officially older than dirt); there have been vacations; there has been a new computer purchased (the reason for lack of pics is I am having a bitch of a time getting Flickr to work with this - I am now a Mac user and still figuring it out - stupid learning curve); and there has been much knitting. For that, you can take a peek at my Ravelry page and see what's been shakin' on the needles...

and now we are in the death throes of the school year and are DYING for the start of summer vacation... I am, as in years previous, planning many to teach myself many new skills, including weaving, spinning, and dyeing - I have finally settled into my home (only took 5 1/2 years) and am planning to start ripping out stuff from the garden that I hate; I am going to buckle down to my AutoCAD course once the updated version becomes available...

and I will try my darndest to be a more faithful blogger... starting with uploading pictures...

Virtuousness abounds...

2009-02-10T09:22:00.006-05:00

(yeah, I don't think it's actually a word, either)

I feel virtuous in so many ways...

* after my hysterectomy, I started taking supplements on the advice of a specialist in women's issues. I ran out a couple of weeks ago and waited to replenish the supply till I could afford them, and what a difference! I turned back into PMS Deirdre, whom we haven't seen for a bit, and it was a really good indication of why I should always, always keep up with these things. So I am taking them again and feeling virtuous in knowing why.

* I am doing a strength training class on Monday mornings and am in week 5 of an 8 week training program run by the same gal, plus for those days I miss (like yesterday, because Ben is out again with a stomach bug) I have a dvd that I actually use. And I actually do. Again with the feelings of virtuous.

* About a year ago I bit the bullet and ripped out a sweater that I loved making, but that looked like utter crap on me (Welcome Back Old Friend) - . I kept the several and various resulting balls of yarn within eyeshot for the past year, waiting for the perfect opportunity to play with them again.
Found it! The Garter Yoke Cardigan, which I cast on a couple of days ago and which I am pleased to report seems both quick and pretty. I am not putting in as many buttonholes as recommended, but otherwise am happily following along mindlessly... all about the mindless these days.
So I am recycling yarn - virtuous little me...

* I finished the Pleated Vest, which is blocking as I type. It's always nice to finish something, and to be happy with it, but this is especially nice because I got it done for Vest-uary. Why is this significant, you may ask? Well, I love to sign up for things like this - sock-alongs, shawl-alongs, they always seem like a fun idea at the time. But I have never, ever finished anything within the suggested time frame.

Until now.

Which makes me feel... what now? Say it with me, people - virtuous.

Am I making y'all sick yet? Yup, I thought so - feeling that way myself, frankly. I can only gloat so much...

did I mention how virtuous I'm feeling?

My first "official" tag / meme

2009-02-05T13:38:00.002-05:00

Wow, I can't believe how excited I am to have been tagged personally by someone - I am obviously in need of getting a life, no?

So, Tamara tagged me - thank you - to do the following:

Link to the person who has tagged you.
Write down six things that make you happy.
Post the rules, tag six others and let them know you did it.
Then tell the person when your entry is complete.

Six Things That Make Me Happy...

1. My boys, Tanner and Ben. The funniest, dearest people I know, even with the various teen / pre-teen angsts (does that pluralize?) and issues.

2. My dogs, Charlie and Maggie.

3. My books. I have a shelf (or two) of unread books, waiting for me. I love knowing that I can achieve so much escape in so little time.

4. My yarn. I have been, um, collecting yarn (like other people collect stamps or spoons, except that this is more practical), largely on sale, for at least 20 - 25 years, and I cannot articulate the deep sense of contentment, unadulterated pleasure, I take from looking at it, going through it, feeling it, and imagining the possibilities.

5. Blank notebooks. Again, it's a matter of potential and possibility - having a bound stack of clean, fresh pages waiting for deep thoughts, inspiration, or just scribbling. I like the smell of a new notebook, too, like a new book.

6. Hot sunshine and sand - while I love being out anywhere in the heat and yes, even humidity, I am at my happiest on a beach, in the sun, with the boys, a book and my knitting at hand. One of those rare moments that cannot be improved upon. While I am even annoying myself with my complaints about this winter, you will never, ever hear me whine that it's too hot, or too humid.

Anyone else want to play? Help yourselves, and let me know what you come up with... thanks, Tamara!

Dated...

2009-02-03T16:20:00.002-05:00

I know, I know, twice in one day - so sue me

Tanner just asked me if the term "jive turkey" is offensive, and if not, can he use it in conversations with his friends.

I am crying with laughter, and I can't stop - I think the last time I heard the term "jive turkey" was from Huggy Bear on Starsky & Hutch...

I'm totally dating myself here, aren't I?? Still shovelling, but now at least I'm laughing...

Catch-up

2009-02-03T10:25:00.002-05:00

a.k.a. catsup, or ketchup

so, it's been an interesting couple of weeks - we've had a snow day, other snowfalls which didn't warrant days off, and then the last two days feeling like spring. Honestly - I was driving with my sunroof open yesterday, feeling like someone who had been held captive in a ship's hold for months on end (forgive me, I am reading The Book of Negroes and got lost in the moment). My 5-foot long icicles melted, the driveway and walkway were clear and dry...

of course I know better, I mean, I've lived in Canada my whole life - I was in Thunder Bay for 2 years for grad school so I know from winter... but I was lulled into that false feeling of hope...

idiot...

We woke up to maybe 4 inches, and it's still falling, has been all morning.

I am way beyond the "pretty, fluffy" crap - I believe I voiced my objection to any more of this a while back, and I'd like to know why I was ignored.

Sigh.

So as I work on my computer drafting course this morning, I find that Bob Marley combined with a short weight workout which makes me sweat gives me a sense of warmer times. If it wasn't so early, I'd be busting out the tequila... just for the effect, you understand...

Maggie's cure for the winter blechs? A little mini-sticks, of course. She followed me for almost half an hour like this till I finally caved and played a little. And yes, she is in dire need of a haircut...

Well, maybe if it lets up I'll try to go out and get a few things - I figured last week I probably need to buy some new bandages . These were all I could find after I tripped and slashed my finger on a door jamb (you know the metal part? Yeah... hurts...), and frankly, they do nothing for the image, nothing at all - just ask my teen / pre-teen...

of course, I'll probably be snowed in or something - or worse, maybe I won't...

off to shovel (heaves deep, deep sigh of disgust)...

A Book Deal???

2009-01-21T08:17:00.000-05:00

For Britney Spears??

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=34829

Hell, I didn't even know she could read...

Life Lessons

2009-01-10T16:10:00.003-05:00

as learned at last night's AC DC concert...

* at a certain age (specifically, at Angus Young's age), it should be mandatory to maintain shirt and hat at all times, particularly when there is a Jumbotron involved. Long strands of thinning hair plastered to scalp, and moobs flapping behind a guitar, are not something anyone should be subjected to, particularly on a huge screen.

* red plastic horns are a nice souvenir for the 20 and under crowd , but look silly on those 50 and over.

* however, when the lights go down and the venue becomes a sea of twinkling red lights, it's kind of a nice effect.

* "non-smoking " apparently does not include cigarettes or joints.

* Rogers Centre security, several of whom appeared to be significantly out of shape and totally bored with the proceedings, cannot be relied upon to enforce the "no smoking" policy.

* Said security staff does not make one feel very secure.

* Headbangers come in all ages - I thought I would be an older attendee, but judging from the small sample I could see, I was young to middling.

* Although I may have looked like a young to middling type, I know today that I am old, as old as the hills, because the hearing still has not returned to my left ear, almost 24 hours later.

* Opening bands have not improved since my last foray into concert-land. These guys were called The Answer, as if in reply to a Jeopardy-style question, "Who can make really loud, tuneless noise, have a lead singer resembling Cousin It (The Addams Family) in both appearance and coherence and suck collosally?"

* Beer does not make people better dancers; it just makes them think they are better dancers.

* I don't think I had enough beer.

That was fun...

2009-01-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

and now the streets are lined with naked trees waiting for composting, like so many used up... well, I was going to say hookers, for some reason, but that's not really the image I was going for, so I'll let y'all come up with one of your own -

so, anyhow... we survived Christmas and the holidays in general. Gifts were given and received , some so big that they could hardly be held up . There were actually two of those, but for some reason these guys like to fight over them one at a time. Like kids, except the dogs don't usually talk back. And they are generally hairier.

In between his fights over the bone with Maggie, Charlie has also become completely obsessed with the mini sticks ball (for those who don't know, mini sticks is played with small hockey sticks, small nets and a nerf-like ball). He will drop everything else to go after this ball, and takes the greatest delight in chewing it down from a sphere to a flat donut. Sometimes I would like to know what actually goes on in his little mind...

There has been more snow - a LOT more snow, which I won't bother to photograph as it's now pissing me off. It's white, it's covering everything, and I have nowhere else to put it. 'Nuff said.

So what better to brighten up the post-holiday, over-snowed mind than a package from Wisconsin? . Kelly puts together the most wonderful packages, and includes something for everyone - the dogs (bones), the boys (cocoa with marshmallows), and me (everything else). I should mention that the yellow dishcloth yarn is not from our super thrilling find in November - at least, I don't think it is? The price isn't the same, and if you'd seen Kelly's reaction, you'd appreciate how unlikely it is that she'd share, even with me...

there has also been knitting, some of which I am feeling quite virtuous about. My first FO of the year is a Celtic Cardigan by Fleece Artist, which I started last year (Feb 08), and just polished off. And I love it.

I also started some Pomatomus socks which I have been planning to make with this yarn (Fearless Fibers 100% superwash merino) for AGES, and which I love quite beyond reason . Deb's colours are just wonderful, deep and rich, and the yarn is a joy to knit with. Happy, happy.

In keeping with this year's theme (which, apparently, is all about me), I am also working on Berroco's Scrunch cardigan - at this point it is an endless sea of k2p2 ribbing, which I know I will love upon completion but is for now a mind-numbing PITA. Which is probably okay for the Christmased-out, snowed-in mind.

There is also work knitting, which actually occupies most of my knitting time right now, the colours of which I just adore .

I am actually planning to give my Celtic cardigan it's inaugural outing tonight, as we take the boys and two of their closest friends for another big Christmas present - to see AC DC in Toronto. I must confess, I have grave doubts about this, at least where I'm concerned - I am a rock concert-goer from way back, but am not a huge metal fan (read: I don't like metal. At all). So I am going to spend a couple of hours listening to what I'm sure will be deafening noise, my ears will be ringing all weekend - my God, don't I sound like an old coot?? I think the fun will be in watching the boys, as this is their first real concert, and in checking out the crowd. I am expecting a fairly wide age range, and am almost sure there will be some characters of note.

Just the thing to ward off those post-Christmas blues, no?

SNOWMAGEDDON

2008-12-20T16:30:00.004-05:00

my new favourite word - I want a t-shirt...

They sure weren't kidding - over a foot of snow, blustery winds, just generally curl-up-by-the-fire kind of stuff - although, of course, some of us were undaunted by the whole thing

apparently, there's another similar storm coming by here tomorrow, and then another one - maybe - on Tuesday... thank God I have a neighbor with a snowblower who appreciates a good bottle of wine as payment -

so when last we spoke, I was finishing up my Wisconsin saga - as Kelly pointed out in the comments, I forgot to mention that one of the things we had been seeking was Christmas dishcloth cotton - hard to imagine, but it was almost impossible to find. Until we got to a Ben Franklin in - help me, Kel, I don't recall where - all I know is that we found a few skeins in the back, priced at $1.49 (or 47), and Kelly SCREAMED and dropped to her knees in front of the yarn cubbies tearing through them, ripping out all the skeins she could find - we tried to be casual when we cashed out, but I think the gals working there must have seen us, because they were less than impressed with the whole thing. Can't beat the price, though...

so my last trip tidbit was on my way home, at the airport, after I had checked through and was going through security. I had all my little lotions and potions appropriately bagged, sent my carry-on through the xray and heard "BAG CHECK", in a Selma Diamond-type voice. Idiot that I am, I had carefully packed a souvenir from Kelly in my clothes, so it wouldn't break -

Never even dawned on me that it was more than 3.5 ounces...

So I got a tour through the back part of the security area (and seeing it, I understand why some of these folks are less than happy at work), went through the check-in line all over again and checked the damn bag.

And I came home to full-out Christmas:

the welcoming committee;

the gift knitting (which is almost, but not quite, done, as is the tradition at this festive time);
the baking, which will be undertaken in full force tomorrow.
Oh, and these... I have to mention these, which I found on Glenna's site - the pattern is called Korknisse, each one takes maybe 15 - 20 minutes for me to make, and they are completely addictive. Plus, since each one uses a cork, well, you follow my logic here, right? So in addition to everything else, I am making these for people, attaching them to gifts and thinking that, with the crocheted loop I am attaching, they can be used as decorations. I LOVE THEM.

So now we're in the homestretch. Some of us are knitting, or baking, or shovelling. Some of us are waiting, maybe for Santa, maybe for a squirrel dressed like Santa
.
And some of us are already in the spirit, and just can't help celebrating

Ho, ho, ho...

Home Away From Home, Part II - The Road Trip

2008-12-10T15:45:00.004-05:00

So, after our leisurely Thanksgiving Thursday and Black Friday events, Kelly and I hit the road on Saturday for a trek north of Eau Claire. Our goals? Yarn and lattes, natch.

We started out badly, with Kelly experiencing severe discomfort in her left eye almost as soon as we headed out. She had forgotten her glasses, and we couldn't go back home because it had sapped almost all of her energy to pry herself away from Sam, her son, who was not pleased with our plans. So on we went, made an emergency stop at a drug store en route for eye drops that, from the sounds of it, burned the original pain right out of Kelly's cornea and gave her something else to focus on. The girl's a trouper, though, so we carried on.

My recollection of the order of things may be off, so Kel, feel free to correct me where necessary. We found ourselves a couple of cute little church craft sales in St. Albans , where some Christmas purchases were made. Lots of interesting items, some very handmade and others not-so-much. We also found the first place Kelly had written on her list of things to see, which was a goldmine - really nice selections of yarn, books, pottery, paintings - really, they have the whole arts thing covered. Across the street, we found some more items of interest (well, they were of interest to me, coming from well-behaved, buy my meat at the grocery store Southern Ontario) - all your bow hunting needs in a festive, Christmasy setting...

After the excitement of the craft sales, we needed nourishment pronto, and so found ourselves here , where we got ourselves Nutty Englishman lattes and the BEST donut ever - fried cinnamon. Need I say more?

We achieved our destination after a couple of hours, Kelly's eye still smarting but bearable - , located in the town of... what??? Are you ready?? CABLE, WI. I'm sorry, but that is just too perfect.

And the shop itself is just lovely, well worth the trip. In fact, Kelly was completely overwhelmed at one point , and we both had to catch our breath. I would like to point out here that I am wearing an $80 Hanna Anderson sweater that Kelly got at a thrift sale (like a garage sale, but more of a religious experience in WI) for $1, and which didn't fit her - SCORE!

We went across the street from Pine Needles to a book/craft sort of shop owned by the yarn shop owner's daughter, which was fabulously sophisticated and small town corny, all at the same time . How come we don't get chili and hot dogs before our Christmas parade, huh??

It was time to start making tracks south again, before it got dark, so we made one more latte stop at a cute little shop right beside this - no, we didn't "bite", but I will always wonder how big a world record musky actually is. There was one more quick stop which I did not photograph because my lens was not big enough - Bargain Bill's - think of the biggest dollar store ever, with everything you can imagine, and then triple it. Still probably not big enough. It was honkin'... 'nuff said.

And with that, we got ourselves home before dark (which is important in deer country), got into our flannels, watched Elf (which was a nice change after 2 nights of highly depressing flicks) and knit.

next time: Part III - The Trip Home, The Homecoming, and OH MY GOD Christmas is how soon???!!!

Home Away From Home, Part I - The Trip

2008-12-04T10:42:00.010-05:00

I was lucky enough to be invited again to visit my BFF Kelly and her family for their Thanksgiving celebrations last week. I agreed on the condition that we did NOT get up at 3:30am this year to shop on Black Friday, to which Kelly agreed - I think it took both of us a week to get over the whole thing -

So I left last Wednesday, having printed off my boarding pass the night before, and got to the Toronto Airport with one carry-on and my purse - all smug and prepared, that was me.

Until I went through security, where I found that my cherished Swiss Army knife, which I thought was in another purse, was in fact with me. I asked if I could put it in my bag and check it, but was told that because I had chosen the 'No Check' option when I bought my ticket (back in September, when gas prices were scary-high, and luggage was being charged for), I could not. I asked if they could mail it to me and got a small, smug smile.

So it's gone. Sigh.

The flight was uneventful, except for the young gal sitting next to me who asked for a piece of my granola bar. She didn't get one.

My first day state-side was spent poking around Minneapolis and St. Paul, and finding some fabulous yarn shops, some of which I forgot to take pictures of. We went to the Yarnery, which is very nice and well-stocked, and bought nothing (I know!). Next stop was Borealis Yarns, which is one of my two favourites from this visit. The shop is big and bright, TONS of stock, the girls working there are utterly friendly and helpful, AND there is a sandwich shop/cafe next door. The only improvement I could see would be a wine/sandwich shop/cafe next door. We both did our best to help them out in these financially unstable times, and when my box from Wisconsin gets here, I'll show you how I helped. Yes, that's right, I mailed myself a box. Of stuff that I bought. So?

We found another beautiful shop, Depth of Field, and entered through their back door, which was nicely marked .
The shop is lovely, old floors and exposed brick, and two levels of all kinds of yarn , including a decent supply of blaze orange yarn , always important in hunting country.

Kelly introduced me to a few members of her knitting group, which, incidentally, she started, and I got to show Jill and Kelly how to use Jill's swift and Kelly's ball winder . In the first shot, I am wearing the Cozy V-Neck Pullover in Stephanie Japel's Fitted Knits, which I finished especially for the trip. It was, in fact, still damp from blocking when I got there so I had it wrapped in plastic in my suitcase.

Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving, and after a great meal at Kelly's in-laws, why, we shopped, of course. Some stores were open, and they were selling things at their Black Friday prices. Much more civilized than 3:30am, in spite of the fact that we were served by a cashier from the backwoods of Deliverance-territory, and as a result missed out on lattes by 10 minutes. But we survived, mostly because we are so mature and wise. A bout of serious cussing in the car helped, too...

Next up... The Road Trip...

Update...

2008-11-11T16:05:00.004-05:00

as promised, a peek at the knitting that has been going on here in post-op world...

my B-Side Cardigan

The flash makes it a little shinier than it is, but the fabric, which is wool and silk, has the nicest weight and drape...

the Metropole sweater coat

yeah, it's boring to look at - charcoal grey linen stitch ad nauseum... but I think it will be most serviceable when done...

Shibuiknits Transition gloves, made with their sock yarn, which is SO YUMMY

these socks, made using Flat Feet yarn, were finally wrapped up - they were started in May!!

When I started these, I wasn't wild about the yarn - felt plastic-y, not very soft - but perhaps my fingers have changed or something, because I'm actually quite happy with them, and looking forward to wearing them.

There's been some sample knitting:

and there have been sock clubs:

including a couple of the BEST sock club packages ever unleashed on knitters

Between you and me, I am overloaded at this point, and will be stopping all but two or three of these clubs in the very near future...

There's been some Hallowe'en
My son is on the left, wearing a sign saying "Pull my finger for $1", because he figured that a hobo would have to do something creative to earn money. Yup, he gets it all from me...

Leaf raking (ohhh, did I mention I can't rake? Gee... those poor boys...).
And not 12 hours after they got the backyard cleared, both big trees just kind of stretched and sighed, and now you can't see any sign of lawn whatsoever...

I have discovered that, although I can't rake, I can use a small leaf blower, and I am having fun (yeah, that's right, yard work can be fun) with it - in small doses, of course.

I'm just wondering if I'll be able to spin this post-op fragility out a little more, once there's snow on the ground (which feels like it could be tomorrow!) ... I probably won't be able to shovel till... hmmm, maybe May?? Think they'll buy it?

4 weeks and holding...

2008-11-03T10:58:00.006-05:00

Yes, it's actually been 4 weeks since I joined the ranks of the Wombless Wonders, and I am amazed and surprised by some of the things I've learned...

* people waiting in pre-op are sitting ducks for students nurses wanting to "practice" for their IV certification.

* I have a 2-poke limit, after which I get bitchy and insist that the supervisor put the damn thing in.

* it hurts to knit with that many holes in your hand.

* the quality of hospital food seems to have deteriorated since my last stay 10 years ago, for an emergency appendectomy.

* however, they now attempt to make it seem better by providing menus with "clever" names for the food.

* in hospital-ese, "ham with gourmet sauce" = inedibly salty meat with heated applesauce.

* this is no way to seduce those with fragile appetites back to the dining table.

* no matter how surreal your morphine/gravol induced fog may feel, it can always be made more so by the addition of a few long-term elderly patients to the acute surgical care ward.

* it's even more surreal when one of said long-term patients has a penchant for warbling song tunes at all hours, usually with nursing staff participation (imagine "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" at 2am, with a nurse hollering, "Come on, Bill, sing us another chorus").

* 2 full days in hospital is considered a luxury, and the second day must, in fact, be bargained, nay, pleaded for.

* when they say 'major' surgery, they mean it.

* when they say 'no heavy lifting', they mean it.

* I am more of a control freak than I knew. And I mean it.

* I am also a bad patient, which surprises me. All my life I have nursed images of myself as a lady of leisure, sitting and knitting and reading, sipping my mint juleps and having 'people' do things for me. The reality is that I HATE having people do things for me. Yet another myth disspelled.

* I am, however, extraordinarily grateful to have people who will do things for me, and sincerely hope that my control issues were relatively well controlled. If not, I blame the morphine, pure and simple.

In addition to the many life lessons, I have been knitting, and will have pics next time, which I promise won't be another 4 week wait - OKAY, MOM???!!!

Thanks, all

2008-10-02T14:48:00.002-04:00

for your comments and interest in my vest dilemma - I think I'll swatch (yeah, I know, you heard it here first) - right, SWATCH, the pattern stitch with the lighter and darker yarns alternating, and see if it looks more like a design element than a cheesey effect. Maybe I'll organize a betting pool to see which seems more likely.

Tomorrow, however, I am off for a different sort of adventure - having a little bit of surgery ("just a bit of harmless brain alteration, Gromit" - not really) after which I am told to expect a 6 - 8 week period of recovery.

Part of me is envisioning lots of knitting and reading, lots of lady-of-leisure activity. The bigger part of me knows that being out of commission for that long will likely kill me - or result in injury to those who dare to come close to me. I won't be able to drive for the first week, and the loss of independence, however temporary... well, let's just say it may not be pretty.

So I'll hopefully be back online in a few days... for now I have to figure out which audiobooks to put on my iPod (which I was told not to bring in with me because they are being STOLEN while people are IN SURGERY - so the boys will have to bring it in tomorrow night - and they tell me this as a matter of routine!!), and which knitting projects I might be able to play with... because I have my priorities in order...

later, dudes...

Oh, I almost forgot -

2008-09-21T15:56:00.002-04:00

the real reason for the post -

I thought that a vest would be a nice piece for this time of year, decided on the Back to School vest, and raided my stash (and this, children, is the reason for a stash). I found 5 skeins of yarn from Handpaintedwool.com, bought for I don't know what back in I don't remember when, calculated that I have just enough for the vest, and wound the skeins.

As I looked at them, an old Sesame Street song popped into my head:

"One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn't belong.
Can you guess which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?"

Well, how'd you do? Did you just assume that the top cake is lighter because of the sunlight?

Wrongo! (do you remember that 7-Up commercial?) It is SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than its relatives. So much so that I am a little concerned that simply alternating skeins might not be enough to blend it in.

Sigh.

I just want a damn vest. I just want to sit down, and churn out a quick, cute, cuddly vest. I don't want to have to figure anything out right now. Mindless is what we're going for here (refer to previous post for reasoning).

Any suggestions? Anyone???

Brain... exploding...

2008-09-21T15:34:00.004-04:00

must

warn

others.....

every fall I do this - I want to knit EVERYTHING I see, and I want to knit it NOW. I assume that, instead of buying additions to my fall "wardrobe", and I use the word loosely, I'll just whip some things up. So I settle on a couple of items, completely doable, and (hopefully) based on stash:
Come Together, from Twist Collective, in (stash) Malabrigo worsted, Paris Night colourway

Clapotis (yes, I may be the last person on earth to succumb to the call of the siren), in (stash) Elann's Peruvian Baby Silk
.

And then I get a new book or pamphlet, and decide I can add another couple of sweaters to the party, one using stash, one not. Oh, but then another book comes out, and something kind of snaps in my already overworked little brain.

There's a coat, and a sweater that looks like an upscale sweatshirt. And I have stash yarn which would work for the coat. And I'm hoping to visit Kelly in Wisconsin in November, and wouldn't it be cool to actually wear the coat when I go? And maybe the sweater? And/or one of the others in the works or waiting patiently in line?

In the words of Yosemite Sam, "I'm a-thinkin'... and my head hurts".

Send reinforcements...

Such Goings-On...

2008-09-15T16:38:00.003-04:00

Well, while some of us have been, um, relaxing, shall we say?
(and yes, the couch is crapped out and that's because it's her couch),

and others have been settling into their new roles as high schoolers (grade 9) and middle schoolers (grade 7 in the big school)
,

still others among us have been taking on the really important chores, the things that make life as we know it go on -

we've been attending the Kitchener-Waterloo Knitters' Fair, and doing our level best to support our local merchants.

Yes, it's tough, it takes a certain sort of person to rise to the challenge...
and I think I did...

I went with a list this year - first time I was ever so organized - and I found the makings for one of the items on said list:
say hello to what will soon be Cosmicpluto's B-Side Cardigan
- I can't say enough about how much I LOVE this colour, and please - everyone - stop for a second and admire the cocobolo buttons...

uh huh... I know...

there were other goodies: sock yarn , which my mother thinks would be totally wasted on my feet, or any feet, for that matter;
a little more sock yarn and some (gasp) Christmas gift makings
,
and that's it.

I would like to point out that there was a bag, a sort of Mary Poppins bag, teal and brown paisley-ish pattern, somewhere near the Four Seasons display booth - I coveted it, oh, yes, but fought the urge and left without it.

And have regretted it ever since. Truly. Sometimes I think it's better to go with your gut than with your common sense.

Sigh.

My mom and I were there about 2 hours, during which time I looked for people I might recognize from their blogs - I looked for a yellow messenger bag till my eyes bled, but left disappointed. However, I resolve to force myself to attend as many of these functions as possible, supporting whichever merchants I can, until I find you, Sandra. This I pledge now, with witnesses... again, it won't be easy, but I will do it.

Later, I'll tell you about my stash knitting, which has TOTALLY balanced out my stash enhancement. Maybe the scale has actually tipped in my favour, because the brown yarn I bought from the Purple Purl was ON SALE...

which means I should probably send out an APB on the bag... just to keep things balanced, you know...

Further Signs of Knitters' World Domination

2008-09-04T16:00:00.001-04:00

So my mom sent me this today - check the sentence used to define the word:

Merriam-Webster’sWord of the Day
September 4

haptic

\HAP-tik\
adjective

Meaning
*1 : relating to or based on the sense of touch 2 : characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch

Example Sentence
Katy could tell one kind of yarn from another purely by haptic clues.

We are everywhere, and skein by skein are taking over the world...

mwa-ha-ha-ha......

Denial...

2008-09-02T17:25:00.003-04:00

not just a river, but a state of mind...

no, today's post will not include reference to the passage of time, nor to the importance of the day (milestones all round)...

no, today we will simply reflect on what has been a most enjoyable, relaxing summer...

okay?

We will think about short trips to Sandbanks Provincial Park: about the best signage ever

(this gives one-stop shopping a whole new meaning, although I thought you'd want to hit the chocolates before the dentist, so he could repair the damage, whereas Ben thought the dentist first, for a clean bill of tooth, made more sense);
the best sand dunes and sunsets .

Let's think about the things that have amused us most this summer:
(best $80 bucks I've spent in ages - it's better than watching TV) (look at what they deem important enough for this bag... I was SO impressed!);

the things we've seen grow
(Ben's jalapenos) (honest to God, the yarn was just growing there!!!)
(this is the Sidelines Top in the Fall Interweave Knits in Dream in Color Classy, "Gothic Rose", and because of my utter obsession and devotion to it, it has grown to a front, back, and 1.5 sleeves)

what else has grown this summer, you may ask?

but like I said, denial is a wonderful thing...

When Vegetables Go Bad...

2008-08-10T14:40:00.003-04:00

Yeah, I know the hype, I've heard it all - 8 - 10 fruits or veggies a day, they're so good for you - well, not these particular veggies...

It all started at the grocery store, where I went in my bi-weekly (and futile) attempt to keep the young men of the household satiated...

yeah, I'll admit it... I started at the veggies - well, no, actually - I started with a package of bacon, which I dropped on the floor. As I bent to pick it up, the pocket of my raincoat (oh, yeah, did I mention the rain?) caught on the handle of the cart and r-r-r-i-i-i-p-p-p-ed...

sigh

okay, now to the veggies - a pyramid of yellow and orange peppers, on special... I know the boys will eat these, so I grab a couple of each colour - NO, not from the bottom, I know how to pick my produce, thank you very much

and the whole damned pyramid collapses anyhow. You know, you see something happening just before it does, and then it unfolds in slow motion? Um... yeah. And who knew just how many peppers they can fit into a pyramid?

Produce man comes running out, apologizing all up the wazoo - he was just about to rearrange them because he thought they might be 'tippy'. TIPPY???????

Okay, shake my head, remind myself that this is in fact real life and not a reality show, and get some locally grown zucchini. Grab a bag, and because I am so cool (and I am, ask anyone), I just yank it off the roll with one hand.

Well...

doesn't the whole roll snap off its holder and shoot down the aisle like a red carpet at the Oscars. Whole roll. Unrolled.

I start to giggle at this because, well, it's just too much, even for me. I can be klutzy, things can happen to me, but not in numbers. And not all in the same outing. Sure I'm tired. And PMS'ing (I know, I'm always whining about that one). But come on.

So, quickly find whatever else I need, and end up with a carton of fresh blueberries. Whose lid is loose. Which I don't realize until the bottom falls off and the floor is littered with little, rolling, blue globes.

I couldn't even laugh at this point, I was too shocked. Same produce man comes out again, sees me and shakes his head. I assure him I am done, not getting anything else, just going home now. He thinks that might be the best course, and then tells me to have a nice day.

Because, really, what other sort of day could I have?

Later I'll tell you about monsoon season here in Southern Ontario, and maybe have some pictures of yarniness to share.

But in the meantime, I say beware of vegetables - some day, when you least expect it, they'll turn on you. They'll jump on you, nay, attack you. Don't say I didn't warn you...

Newsflash....

2008-07-24T17:06:00.002-04:00

(this is where you imagine the sound of a teletype machine spitting out a breaking story)

I am a boob.

I can be fun at parties, can dance in time to music, tell some jokes, appreciate others; you know, not bad company.

But I am a boob.

I frogged my Jaywalker socks, as per my last post, because the colours in the Perfect Day yarns, which I LOVE, were not striping as I envisioned.

So I frogged them, and started Knitspot's Shifty sock pattern, thinking it had been the number of stitches that interfered with the striping sequence. Well, I don't like this pattern either.

I actually preferred the Jaywalkers.

So in my quest to perfect the striping - pink, turquoise, brown, cream - one of my favourite combinations, in fact - I started to poke around Ravelry to see what other people are making with this yarn.

Guess what?

It's not supposed to stripe the way I pictured it in my twisted little mind. I actually had it right the first time. There are two bands of two colours each - pink/turquoise, brown/cream. It seems that the four colours stripe together in the toe.

Only in the toe.

So I am going to frog one more time, and then... well, I'm not sure. I know this has everything to do with a current lack of focus which seems to be pervading all aspects of my world right now. I'd like to blame it on summer vacation brain. Or hormones - hormones are the perfect scapegoat for so many things. But we all know what the real problem is.

I am a boob.

I'm so glad to be home...

2008-07-16T08:41:00.003-04:00

Not! (Thank you, Wayne's World, which we have been watching much so far this summer)

I don't get to smell pine trees, or wake up to this, or watch a black bear cub ambling across my front porch while sitting inside having a coffee (I actually thought it was Charlie at first, and by the time my poor brain registered that Charlie wasn't with us, it had gone off in search of dirtier barbecues)...

I can't drive down the road for 10 minutes and see this

We can't pop into a canoe and find a view like this (these pics were taken by Tanner - he has quite an eye, it seems!)

There aren't a lot of these or these - at least, they're not as friendly around here...

There has been some of this since we got home , but the setting changes everything...

there was much playing of Monopoly - we actually had a week long game that ended with the 'Death Match on the final Saturday night - I lost quickly, and Ben was declared the winner with $180million, while Tanner was runner up with $43 million... not too shabby

somw swimming although it wasn't as hot and humid as I'd hoped - still, nothing beats swimming in a lake to me, absolutely nothing...

there was even some knitting, although for some reason I had a VERY hard time focusing... I started some Jaywalker socks with a skein of Perfect Day Yarns as my easy project. While I loved the start of them , I soon found that because of the number of stitches, the three colours did not stripe together and I was ending up with this , which just isn't the look I'm going for. I also started a pair of Marina Piccola socks using merino/sea cell yarn from Unwind - took me three times to finally get the pattern and sizing set, and I quite like them ... the yarn makes for fairly weighty socks, which surprises me, actually...

I also got started on a KAL with the Loopy Ewe using Dream in Color Baby - I am making the Lace Ribbon Scarf from the Spring '08 Knitty, and after 5, count 'em, 5 attempts, FINALLY got the damn thing to look like it's supposed to...

So we packed quite a bit into our week away, and still managed to relax and actually enjoy each other's company... hopefully that carries on through the remainer of our vacation, during what looks to be (of course, now that we're not on a lake anymore) a hot, hazy and humid spell...

So... am I glad to be home? Why don't you be the judge of that??

Oooohhhh, An Adventure

2008-07-06T06:30:00.003-04:00

Well, if the dogs are at the kennel (they are), my mom has been enlisted to check in on our intentional rodent population (she has), and the van is being packed up puzzle-style (it will be), then we must be heading out on a trip...

and we are..

we are going up to "our" cottage at the Blue Spruce Resort on Oxtongue Lake, just outside of Algonquin Park for the next week... when we went last year, it rained every single frigging day and was COLD

the weather forecast for this week looks hot and humid, which, when you are lucky enough to have a clean sparkling lake in front of you, is what you want... not that I actually trust weathermen or anything, but when it suits my purposes, I believe them...

I believe that makes me a fair-weather friend???

Happy summer, see y'all in a week...

Isn't the living supposed to be easy?

2008-07-03T06:53:00.001-04:00

You know, summertime and all that???

We have been bus-s-s-s-y since the beginning of last week, so let's do the time warp again (with thanks to the Rocky Horror Picture Show) so I can show you.....

last Tuesday (not July 1, the one before), both of my sons graduated from their respective grades, Ben in the morning from Grade 6, for which I found myself coordinating their afternoon luncheon (note to self: must work on my 'just say NO' skills this summer).

Oh, and the stars behind Ben and his teacher? Yet another instance of my spinelessness... I started with these , which were generously cut and donated by the father of a friend of mine - just scrap pressed board, nothing fancy

UNTIL some poor schmuck spends the better part of a weekend spray-painting them gold
,
tying ribbons into the pre-cut holes and then writing on the names of all the recipients (there were 44 in total)

and THEN, because, again, the 'n' word is not something that works unless dealing with the offspring in question (NO, I will not pay $75 for a t-shirt; NO, I will not buy you a Gibson Les Paul), same schmuck spends an hour pinning the stars to the backdrop curtain, then unpinning after the ceremony so the kids could get each other to sign the back and then keep them...

my spray-paint laden lungs and pin-scarred fingertips may never be the same... but I digress...

that evening (last Tuesday, not the 1st - still with me?), Tanner celebrated his graduation from Grade 8...

Tanner was surprised to learn that I fully supported his choice of attire (an Aerosmith shirt with a suit? TOTALLY), and I was reminded yet again that dark bras are better under dark t-shirts...

We shared the traditional first dance, which interestingly was held in the cafeteria, and frankly, you can't beat food service counters for ambience, during which I kept apologizing to the poor boy who was SO uncomfortable, and then he and his friends opted out of the remainder of the dance and came with me to Dairy Queen instead...

nothing says Happy Graduation like an Oreo Blizzard...

I spent the day on the verge of tears, but held it together pretty well, only tearing up here and there and never outright blubbering, for which we were all grateful...

oh, and that same day, the school held its final assembly, during which I was presented with a lovely, thoughtful gift as a thank you for running a weekly lunch program for the past 5 years, and earning over $20,000 in total for the school coffers...

really, all I needed was Old Yeller dying in front of me to make the emotional rollercoaster complete...

since then there have been pool parties, bike rides, the latest installment of Woolgirl's sock club

I know I've said this before, but Jen puts together the most FABULOUS packages - look at the perfect, tiny froggie stitch marker in the middle of all that

There has been attempted (and aborted) warping

Maggie didn't know what the hell I was doing, but stayed right there watching me

and then yesterday, my young men were off on their first official summer expedition - three days of 5 males in this

I have never seen one so big up close before - 31 feet long, at least 2 1/2 feet taller than a city bus, 2 TV's and a FULL BATHROOM - their father is of the opinion that bigger is always better... at least, until he has to drive it down a tree-laden street, leaving the carnage of torn branches and shredded leaves in his wake...

I was invited to visit for a day, but I have no interest in seeing my boys playing Lord of the Flies

So, upon re-reading this, I think yet another lesson for me is to post when I think of it, and not wallop y'all with these occasional sagas... and maybe to enjoy a little quiet time while I can...

the living is easy... right???

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

2008-06-22T16:22:00.003-04:00

to bring you this

and this

I was going to write about my new project, and my languishing projects, you know, the usual, but then not half an hour ago the sky went black, thunder ripped across the lake and, well, it hailed...

Ben offered to "model" the hail for me, but quickly realized, it's cold

hence the face...

so I am off to make my confession or something because I have NEVER seen weather like this in all my born days... we've had more thunder and weirdness in the past month than in my whole life... I think something bigger may be afoot...

and now, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Sandra.....

2008-06-17T16:53:00.004-04:00

oh, Saaaaaaannnnnnnnddddraaaaaaaaa...

I hope you got into as much trouble as I did...

but I digress...

when last we spoke, we had suffered much at the hands of Mother Nature, and I was rescuing baby birds and righting tossed nests...

well, the robins had a 66% survival rate, for which we were very thankful. We found one of the little guys hopping around the yard - well, actually, Charlie found him - I saw Charlie sitting erect and completely still, paws outstretched. When I called him, he turned his head very, very slowly - like horror film slowly - and then turned back just as slowly - something moved, and he got up, tiptoed (I kid you not - my 100 pound dog was tiptoeing) and stretched his paws out on either side of whatever it was.

I couldn't get a picture of him protecting it, but this is what it was:

It eventually flew away, leaving poor Charlie bereft (empty nest syndrome for a male dog - go figure) - we think he needs a kitten.

The cardinals have, I believe, flown the coop as well, but I did get in there for a little peek

and in spite of the HUGE thunderstorms and hail we've been experiencing recently uh huh, hail - , Buddha is much happier with the weather these days

In knitting news, there has been some stash enhancing going on... just a bit, really...

Jenn of Woolgirl fame makes everything seem like a present, like a special occasion - it almost seems wrong to unwrap something so thoughtfully, so artfully put together. But then you do and you find this

samplings from the Unique Sheep, including another set of graduated colours to make more of these .

There has been the Art Walk Sock Yarn Club to enjoy (really, I see this as culturally enhancing more than stash enhancing - it's like going to a museum in the comfort of your own home)

There have been other interesting things going on - attempts at resuscitation followed by reckless abandonment and new loves...

but that can wait till next time...

CARNAGE

2008-05-31T11:24:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning to this:

Our robin's nest turned asunder, and initially, no babies to be found
.

I did eventually find two of the three babies, and thinking they were dead, tried to scoop them up very gently. Turns out, they were both still alive, barely, so I righted the nest and (never touching them, because I don't know if it's a myth or not) tucked them both back in, hoping beyond hope that their mom would show up.

She has. She's been in the nest with them since I put them back in.

Fingers crossed and good vibes...

Look who's moved in to the neighborhood...

2008-05-30T10:07:00.002-04:00

We found them because Charlie was making every effort to climb up and into the shrub where the nest is - not sure if he wanted to eat them or snuggle them (he caught a bird a while back and we found it nestled between his HUGE paws, trembling, while he licked and nuzzled it), but there they were, with their mom in a nearby tree.

They grow fast

and like typical babies, all they seem to want to do is eat

and eat...

and as if that's not enough, we also found this last night, in a lilac bush right beside our dining table:

Mama cardinal sitting on, I think, eggs, with the dad always lurking nearby...

Gosh, and we were feeling sad that the mourning doves hadn't made their usual nest over the front door this year - now it's like a nature show in our own backyard...

We have finally been able to start eating outside, and the flowers? Oh, the flowers...

I love spring...

Happy Birthday, Maggie!

2008-05-24T07:57:00.002-04:00

Maggie turned 7 yesterday, making her (technically) a senior.

Somehow, I doubt that very much...

A moment of silence, please...

2008-05-22T14:01:00.001-04:00

as seen in our local newspaper...

Fare thee well, Mr. Squishy...

Wow

2008-05-21T14:36:00.003-04:00

I mean, really, WOW!!!

My Loopy Ewe sock club installment arrived today, and well,

WOW!

Live, in person, Wollmeise sock yarn (people, do you have any idea how hard it is to find this stuff??!)

And a new (to me) gadget - Lord, how I does love a good gadget....

So, WOW...

I was looking at the socks I have on the go right now, and have finally come to realize that I like small - small needles - 2.25 or smaller -
I currently have three pairs in action, and I got to comparing the yarn and needles...

First are these Toe-Up Monkeys, for which I have either totally buggered up the pattern, or made up my own design. I am using red Darn Pretty Needles made by Grafton Fibers (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these needles), 2.25mm, and Sock Pixie yarn in the "Toni Morrison" colourway. I love this sock - I love the needles, which are very firm, very smooth, and look awfully pretty with the yarn. I don't think I've really appreciated the aesthetics of yarn and needle together till now, and I have to say, this one pleases my eye. Both eyes.

This is the first sock for the first installment of Woolgirl's Seven Deadly Spins club. 4 colours of Verve by The Unique Sheep put together to make rainbow socks. Again, I love the yarn, and LOVE the needles - more of Grafton's DPN's, size 2.25mm.

My second pair of socks from Flat Feet by Conjoined Creations, made with 2.5mm Brittany birch dpn's. These needles have been my stand-by for years, but now, compared to the others, I am finding them rougher on the surface, and, well, a little large. The yarn actually calls for 3mm needles, but I just couldn't... and the yarn... well, it's totally fun watching the pattern unfold beneath your hands, not knowing what exactly you'll end up with. But the yarn itself is almost plastic-like, not nearly as soft, or firmly spun, as the others I'm using.

So, I guess what I've learned about myself is that I like small knitting. Very small knitting. I like fine, tightly spun fingering weight yarn and 2 - 2.25mm needles, preferably needles which are made from hard, smooth wood. And looking good with the yarn is a bonus.

I have also learned that I belong to several sock clubs. And that I like to knit socks.

Wow.

Well...

2008-05-15T16:43:00.003-04:00

well, where to begin?

We are recently returned from two (uh-huh, TWO) weeks of this

and this
and this
,
where I was also able to to this
,
and to read all this .

I have never, in my life, read 5 books on vacation - and that doesn't count the two audiobooks I listened to ("Tweak" by Nik, Sheff, and "Change of Heart" by Jodi Picoult).

Why, yes, I am a little more relaxed, actually... thank you for noticing.

And then we came home to this

,
and these

Lord, how I love vacation... and as glad as I am to be home, I want to know where the guy is who just knows that, by 3 or so in the afternoon, I am in need of a dose of mango daquiri... we don't seem to have those here...

sigh

on the plus side, we have a long weekend coming, so a little more recovery time is planned...

He's a Tween!

2008-04-04T08:39:00.002-04:00

Today Ben is 12 - I cannot believe I am saying that about my baby, but there you go - he's 12!! Twelve years ago today I felt my water break at 4 in the morning, dropped Tanner off at my mom's and rushed to the hospital, thinking that this time I might get to deliver naturally. We waited... and walked... I had some labour pains and decided that another c-section might actually not be so bad... and waited... and walked... and finally around 7pm, they brought me in for surgery.

They inserted the needle for the epidural, which prompty snapped off in my spine - I remember a lovely, kind nurse holding her forehead to mine, speaking calmly and soothingly, assuring me everything was fine. The doctors tried again, successfully this time, and they went to work. I remember the surgeon howling with glee at the size of Ben, 10LB 1OZ, after having just delivered two 5 LB twins. I saw the size of his head and said a HUGE thank you to the powers above for the c-section. He was actually holding his head up in the recovery room, which frightened another nurse to bits.

It was kind of weird, but I knew he was a boy, and I knew his name was Ben, the instant I figured out I was pregnant. His father was worried that I hadn't even considered other names, but I just knew. Never argue with a pregnant woman.

Now, at 12, Ben is almost as tall as me (5'7"). He has a wild sense of humour, which keeps his brother and I in stitches. He has a huge heart, and is very sensitive to the needs and thoughts of others, sometimes to his own detriment. Ben will try almost anything once, and as his teacher told me, marches to his own drum while maintaining a close-knit group of "peeps". He loves hockey, playing and watching, performs magic, can knit, likes reading, and will still give me a hug and a kiss even if his friends are around. What a blessing this guy has been - I am so proud of him, and love him with all my heart...

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Buddha Says...

2008-03-30T07:23:00.002-04:00

Enough already!!

With all of this going on and ON , we've had to work hard to keep our spirits up.

There have been sock clubs in spring colours , and knitting in spring colours ...

there has been water activity, which speaks to warmer weather ...

We've been doing all we can to help bring spring along, in spite of dire predicitions that there's still another 3 - 4 weeks of cold and snow likely. Some of us have sought solace in the arms of our dogs, and sadly, some of us have turned to less socially acceptable means of coping - thievery and gloating .

Desperate times and all that...

Things are looking a little better now, but we continue to watch and wait patiently , because it has to come eventually....

right?

What? could it be....

2008-02-14T13:10:00.003-05:00

Well, if there are flowers, and chocolate (in an edible box, no less!), then it must be Valentine's Day!

Oh, and cupcakes... lots and lots of cupcakes...
I love the little hearts with the cheesey sayings...

I just hope kids in Grade 6 find them as amusing...

and in the midst of this, there is an FO to report - things have been slowly but surely wrapping up on several fronts, nothing major to show yet, but these:
, made from Duets sock yarn which my wonderful friend Kelly picked up on her trip to Seattle last year. I don't think she's made hers yet - we have matching skeins - but let's not pressure the poor girl, shall we?

I have started another pair of socks, which I am utterly infatuated with, but as my camera battery is in need of help, I'll have to post a pic later.

Funny, as I set up the socks for the shot, the dogs were just fascinated with what was hanging in the tree - they had paid no attention to the socks till then - wonder what they were thinking?

and happily, Maggie is well recovered from her surgery, back to being her usual perky self, and loving the white stuff, with which we have been more than amply supplied this year... enough already!!!

So I hope that your Valentine's angels are treating you all well today - I am not a big fan of the day, never really liked the fuss made over what is just a big commercial event... but when there are flowers and chocolate involved, wellllllllllll, I can sacrifice my principles a little...

that doesn't make me a bad person - just a chubby one...

I approve...

2008-02-01T15:17:00.000-05:00

I feel pretty much the same as the Yarn Harlot with regards to winter - don't much like it, not a fan, and every winter I ask myself why the hell I live in Canada... I mean, really...

But today, I approve. We are in the midst of a storm, a big, nasty storm - it's been snowing steadily since last night, and there's been some freezing rain and heavy winds thrown into the mix. Some of us are enjoying the white stuff
more than others

I took the pictures from inside, largely because I am of the latter mindset... but we'll go out for a walk later, just because it's white and clean and fun for a bit...

Unfortunately, we were robbed of a snow day because this was already designated as a Professional Activity Day... not complaining or anything, just, well, I guess I am...

you may notice the large bald patch on Maggie's back? She had surgery about 1 1/2 weeks ago to remove a large cyst - cost the same as the club chairs I was eyeing for the living room, but at least now Charlie isn't chasing her around, thinking she's accessorizing with a chunk of raw meat on her back. She's recovered very well, and I, I myself, the mom, took out the stitches...

No, I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV...

In other news:
The school choir, of which Ben is a member, sang both national anthems last weekend at a Hamilton Bulldogs game at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton. To put it in perspective, Michael Buble sang there on Tuesday night, so it's a big-ticket venue (although I am not a fan, so his presence there didn't impress me - I think he's a Harry Connick Jr wannabe-but-neverwillbe). Ben was hard to spot, as he was standing right on the edge of the carpeting in the back row, and was deathly afraid of a misstep on the ice... sure, he would have been embarassed if he fell, but think of the picture!

He didn't fall, they sang beautifully, and a good time was had by all...

I am poking through my stash this afternoon, while forts are being built and snowballs are being hurled... bread is rising in the kitchen, I have the makings of a cozy casserole for dinner, lots of wood for the fire, wine in the wine rack, and later the boys have promised we will play Monopoly without coming to blows (don't ask) -

so in spite of my inherent dislike of things cold and snowy (and soakers, God how I hate wet socks!), I have to say that today, I approve...

These darned quizzes...

2008-01-08T14:22:00.001-05:00

silly, meaningless, but still entertaining -

this one courtesy of Wannietta:

Deirdre --

[noun]:

A real life terminator

'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

And you know, depending on the time of day and hormonal levels, well, I'm not saying anything more...

except that it's defined as a noun, a noun of termination... let's just take a minute to think about that... did anyone hear Arnold asking for the deirdre in any of the Terminator flicks?

I thought not...

Happy, Happy!

2008-01-05T12:12:00.000-05:00

I've had to let the idea of a new year gel a little before I could write about it - I'm not sure if it's a sign of age, but MAN, is time going by quickly! Makes my head reel...

I do have an FO to report, first of the year, all done but for the blocking (which, I think I've said before, doesn't count to me because once it's laid out I have nothing to do with it - once the knitting is done, it's done):

Project: Wonderful Wallaby, Cottage Creations

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Yarns Bulky Merino, Blues

Needles: 4mm and 5mm

Started: October 2007

Finished: January 5, 2008

Made for my 9 year old niece, Jackie, upon whom, with her white blond hair and clear light blue eyes, it should look stunning... as long as it fits - it should, but it wouldn't be a gift from me unless there was huge anxiety around the fit...

I FINALLY zeroed in on something to make pour moi - last night I cast on the Neckdown Wrap Cardigan from Knitting Pure and Simple with Dream in Color Classy, the Chinatown Apple colourway, purchased from Connie at Pick Up Sticks:

This is actually a better representation of the colour:, and wait! What's that? Could it be... well, I think it is probably the most adorable stitch marker ever! I cannot for the life of me remember where I got them from, but I know that Sabine Mills makes them, and they come in a set of 5, with 4 white and one black sheep. They make me laugh every time I pick up my knitting...

So, a new project on the needles. Another thought came to me while I marinated / ruminated / luxuriated in the holidays... I made a sweater a couple of years ago, from an older edition of Interweave Knits - it's a Kathy Zimmerman design called Hello, Old Friend. I had the yarn, a rich brown Chelsea Silk tweed by Tahki, for a long time before I took the plunge, and I loved knitting it. Cables are by far my favourite thing to make, the more complicated the better. I followed the directions exactly for my size, understanding that the sweater should be oversized. Somewhat.

When I tried it on, I found myself swimming in a sea of brown cables, unable to find my hands under the sleeves, and looking like I was hiding at least one more of me underneath. I was heartbroken, and put the sweater away. I include the photo, which is not at all close to the real, deep brown, just to show you the cables... Lord, how I love those cables...

So it has come to mind that perhaps I will dissemble my sweater - take a better picture first - and use the yarn for another cabled beauty that has caught my attention, the ubiquitous Central Park Hoodie from KnitScene's Fall 2006 issue. I hate to be making what everyone else seems to be, but I think it would be a fitting testament to this poor brown sweater... the frogging will be difficult, will likely call for copious amounts of alcoholic soothing, but I think I can do it...

Goodbye, Old Friend...

I know I promised stash updates, but this is a tough act to follow, so I'll go with those next time...

What a ride...

2007-12-29T10:31:00.000-05:00

Well, once the gifts were wrapped,
the cookies decorated (with assistance, of course), and the blackmail efforts put forth , we had ourselves a wonderful Christmas! I only hope yours was as much fun - I now find myself the owner of an iTouch, which, for a wannabe-techie like me, is a total blast to play with!

The kids got an XBox 360, with Guitar Hero II, and this has proven to be the hit of the party - I pretty much suck, but get such a kick out of it that I don't care...

Handknitted gifts were finished on time (okay, one with only about 1 hour to spare before being handed over, but it was done, okay?!):
Grinchy socks from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, with my own label, thanks to Carole ;

Loskins socks, made with Dream in Color 'Smooshy', Happy Forest colourway (which I will have to make something from for me because I am totally enamoured with the colour - and I don't usually like green...);

and a Felted Striped Tote from One Skein, using STASH Lion Brand Wool and Paton's Classic Wool (it's functional and virtuous).

Stash enhancement has also occurred, but I'll save it for the next post...

I am still slogging - yes, that's right, it's now a slog - away on my niece's Wallaby - sleeves attached, so just shoulder shaping and the hood and I'm golden, and then comes the hard part - deciding what to cast on for me. Too many ideas, too many possibilities, swirling around in an already overloaded, hormonally kicked-to-shit mind... I am hoping to make a decision soon, and cast something on -

silly, isn't it? To have this much trouble finding something to make for myself? I have the makings for many wonderful things but can't seem to narrow my focus... I may have to ask my sons to help me with this, and then I'll do what my mother has always done - take their suggestions and do the complete opposite... or not... I can't decide...

Not Wounded, Sire, But Dead...

2007-12-11T06:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, not quite dead, either, but it has been a rough couple of weeks from which we are still recovering - ailments ranging from stomach flu (Tanner) to head colds (Ben), to a viral imitation of strep throat (uh-huh, that would be me).

I am still trying to get back on my feet from this, and am hopeful that within the next couple of days, I will have the energy to post and describe the last of my Wisconsin pictures, as well as what I am hoping to get through before Christmas...

and around here, hope springs eternal, donchyaknow...

My American Thanksgiving, Volume I

2007-12-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been a week since this:

See the dashboard clock. You can't see the A.M. after the numbers, but believe me, it was there.

See Kelly in the parking lot.
See the parking lot behind Kelly. Too dark? Well, there are NO SPACES. The parking lot is full. It is 4:07 A.M., and the parking lot is full.

See Deirdre standing in line at the store.
The line ends at the store entrance. It is a very long line. It is 4:30, and Deirdre's arms are full of deals.

See Kelly and Deirdre still standing in line.
They have more deals. It is almost 6:30, and Kelly and Deirdre are still standing in line. They are also still smiling. They may be a few stitches short of a full repeat (I know, some of you may recognize this from The Knitting Guild of Canada's t-shirts years ago, but since I coined it for the shirts, I believe I can use it).

Kelly and Deirdre are almost at the end of the line. They will soon be going here.

They are not sure which of the goods offered to enjoy, but they will enjoy whatever it is.

And notice the orangey light on the sign. That is the sun. Rising. It has been dark and black since Kelly and Deirdre's adventure began 4 hours ago.
And that, boys and girls, is why it is called Black Friday.

Volume II - the sights and yarns of Minnesota/Wisconsin - to follow... stay tuned...

Thanksgiving, here I come...

2007-11-20T21:55:00.000-05:00

I had such plans for a bigger, better, more photo-filled post - but, well, I am leaving in a few hours for Kelly's home in Wisconsin, where we shall yarn/wine/latte crawl, celebrate Thanksgiving, and venture out on Black Friday for some shopping...

and I don't even like shopping!

I'll be back, photos and stories a-plenty, on Sunday - Happy, happy...

Shocked and Saddened

2007-11-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

This just came in on the Knit U list:

"Monday, November 19, 2007
Dear KnitU Members,

It is my sad duty to let you know that our List Aunt Gail McHugh passed awa=yFriday after a short illness.
For those who may wish to do so, the funeral home web site has a guest bookto sign and virtual candles to light for Gail. I think it would mean a lot to Gail's sister if the members of our list were to visit the web site and add a candle.
The URL is:www.keefefuneralhome.com

Speaking to XRX CEO Benjamin Saturday, Gail's sister mentioned that the knitting charity in New Orleans that Gail and Dez Crawford were working on was very special to Gail. She suggested that if knitters wanted to honor her memory, that she was sure that Gail would want people to remember the work that KnitU was doing for the Covenant House:http://www.covenanthouseno.org

Here is the address as well:
Covenant House New Orleans611 N. Rampart St.New Orleans, LA 70112

A little later today, our List will be passed to the capable hands of a newModerator, Anne Claxon, a long-time member of KnitU, probably now known to many KnitU members as the person in charge of sifting the KnitU posts on behalf of the Tips & Tricks section of the XRX Athena Database. Anne is very aware of our traditions as a group, but she will certainly need your assistance as she begins her task. I hope you will join me in welcoming her as we all begin the difficult task of adjusting to the loss of Gail, someone who has been a part of our lives for such a length of time.

With my deepest respects,
David Xenakis
List DadKnitU"

I have been a Knit U member possibly since it's inception, and had occasion to email Gail personally several times over the years about topics ranging from Stitches events to both of us walking around with wool samples stuffing our bras to try them out for softness.

I am shocked and so, so sad - I don't know what happened to Gail but she did such a phenomenal job of running Knit U, I just can't imagine it without her...

Reality Check...

2007-11-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

So I started this sweater last year?, maybe the year before - in any case, the poor thing has been languishing because in an unusually cocky move, I failed to check it as I knit and instead of having a nicely shaped neck, with the same number of stitches front and back, I was in fact knitting the Quasimodo special...

I have been frantic with desire to knit something for ME, but I don't yet have the right needles for Thermal although I have the yarn, and I don't have the right yarn for a wrap ballet-type sweater although I have the needles, and I just don't have the requisite brain cells right now to even attempt the Dickinson pullover from the Fall '07 Interweave Knits - so I thought I would revive Quasimodo, and try to make him mine...

I tried it on, and I think I may need to re-measure myself... a little reality may be in order here. I am not a small person, never have been, just not my destiny. So, I always tend to knit big, buy big, way big - always large or x-large. I am slowly coming to the realization that bigger may not always be better. My sons rolled around laughing at me, swathed in this massive wooly partial garment, and suggested that maybe I should check the size again. For once, I agreed, and I am now in the process of undoing entirely what has been done, and starting over again. In a smaller size. And you know what? That makes me utterly happy! I have to size down!

I have also cast on yet another Wonderful Wallaby, this time for my youngest niece, who just had a birthday. I am particularly happy about this one because I am using stash yarn, purchased some years ago from one of Cherry Tree Hill's New Year's sales - the colour is absolutely perfect for Jackie, with her white-blond hair and clear blue eyes. The only catch will be my sister-in-law, who prefers acrylic for ease of washing. This is not acrylic, but I am hoping she'll be so taken with the colours that she won't mind.

Some absolutely lovely stuff in the mail this week - this from Wendee at Hazel Knits, which she and I both agree would look fabulous together as the Chevron Scarf in Last Minute Knitted Gifts, as well as some of her gorgeous stitch markers, two of which may well become earrings - I love them that much! Oh, and please note the detail - I found my macro (kinda like my mojo, I guess...)!!

More to follow - I am off for a haircut, where I will enjoy another reality check as we observe the creeping in of the grey...

I think I'm not too wild about this whole reality thing...

We Remember...

2007-11-11T11:29:00.000-05:00

and we thank you...

Never believe your own press...

2007-11-06T08:13:00.000-05:00

I am smarter than 98.48% of the rest of the world.
How smart are you?

although I must say that I'll take it as a bit of much-needed ego stroking for today...

Happy, happy

2007-11-02T15:11:00.000-04:00

Criss Angel and Harry Houdini hope you had a sincerely spooky Halloween
-
they did...

Since last we spoke, I have been witness to sites only seen in Toronto:
- it's hard to make out, but there's a guy walking with a canoe on his shoulders, under the new Michael Lee Chin Crystal at the ROM.

I have appreciated the juxtaposition of old and new

I have accompanied Ben's grade 6 class to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, where we enjoyed lunch under the bomb bay of a Lancaster plane, and I experienced the best field trip ever!
(Yes, Ben is trying to look thoughtful, perhaps even pensive, here)

I finished and sent off my Sock Wars weapon

Project: Sock Wars sock, "Scar" Pattern

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Mini-Merino - from STASH!!

Needles: 3.5mm

Started: October 13, 2007

Finished and Mailed: October 27, 2007

I have cast on new socks, hopefully for myself, using absolutely scrumptious Dream in Colour 'Smooshy' sock yarn purchased from Connie at Pick Up Sticks, in the Happy Forest colourway I am not a green person, but I cannot tell you how deeply I love these - the subtle variations in colour are just wonderful - I may have to wrap these socks around my head so that everyone can appreciate the depth of colour...

I have made yet another trek to the magic stores in Toronto with my sons, and found this label on a box, which opened up a whole whack of interesting questions.

And because we felt touristy, we also took pictures of a billboard I have always liked,

found at the corner of Queen and Bathurst...

I hope I never outgrow my touristy side...

now I must de-Halloween the house before we go to see Jerry Seinfeld's new film, Bee Movie - I love Jerry Seinfeld with all my heart, because he makes me laugh - please, Jerry, don't disappoint me...

Howdy, howdy, howdy!*

2007-10-25T15:20:00.000-04:00

*Whoever can tell me who said this, and in what film, gets a skein of Cherry Tree Hill supersock merino yarn in the Monet colourway - no fooling!

busy, busy, busy here, finishing projects - the red Lake Placid Pullover for Artisan Knitworks, the brown frilled shrug for Cindy at Apple Laine (both of which I forgot to photograph before mailing), a Rowan sweater for my LYS (and thanks to Wannietta, I know exactly how many ends I wove in here - a f*&ktillion)

working on projects - a Louisa Harding wrap and a brown silk/cashmere scarf for the store (the yardage on this scarf yarn is incredible - it will not end!!), my entry for Sock Wars (still not done, but plugging away);

and chomping at the bit to start new ones - a Wonderful Wallaby for my niece who is having a birthday soon, and just too many other things for me. I am still hyperventilating at the number of projects I want to make, and am totally surprised by my inability to make a decision.

Oh, well, it's a moot point for now anyhow...

I did see the Red Frilled Shrug I made on Cindy's website, which thrilled me no end!

The boys and I were LOVING the 80 degree weather on the weekend - we went to a pumpkin farm on Sunday - did the hay ride to a 4-acre corn maze, did a little potato chucking, then onto the pumpkin patch itself, where we picked our favourites and toted them back to the van, only to find that we had been blocked in by a not-too-intelligent, way-too-enthusiastic parking attendant - 20 minutes of backing and forthing on a steep grassy hill and we were out of there relatively unscathed... not happy, but unscathed...

New sock club stuff came this week - I love sock clubs, it's almost like free sock yarn because it's already been paid for, and you never know what's coming, and as we all know, sock yarns don't count as stash...

STR, in a gorgeous colour and great pattern, and the coolest extras that scared the hell out of me when I opened the envelope and they fell out

and from Make 1 Yarns, which I am totally in love with - the colours, the pattern - just love this one

After our wonderfully warm Sunday and Monday, we had some nasty cold rain, and it is now officially fall. I am always sad to see the end of summer - shorts and bare feet, vacation - but am slowly getting my head around the change... this helps, but it's still slow...

when next we meet, I'll tell you about what I've found in my quest to organize...

It's All About Perspective...

2007-10-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

I will do a proper post soon, when I can get pictures and appropriate - maybe even coherent? - words together, but in the meantime, this must be seen to be believed...

http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p">http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p=111>http://mochimochiland.com/weblog/?p

My guilt has dissolved... completely...

Milestones

2007-09-30T10:08:00.000-04:00

Tanner turned thirteen on Friday. Thirteen!!! Where did it go?

I can see subtle changes in his face and body, even though he can't - but even as he's getting older, he still hugs and kisses me in front of his friends (awwwwww), and he is still absolutely silly
funny the games you can come up with when you realize your t-shirt matches the seat cover...

so we took Friday off and, as per Tanner's request, did the Toronto magic shop run, followed by a late-ish lunch at Gretzky's, where, in honour of the day, Tanner was presented with a really yummy chocolate puck and birthday wishes from Wayne himself (okay, it was really the waitress who overheard us talking about the birthday, and Wayne's signature was an icing sugar template, but come on, work with me...)

but a very satisfying outing, right down to the Holiday Inn strikers who were pounding drums and chanting so loudly we were compelled to cross the street to see what the hubbub was...

We still don't know what they were striking about, but it was very entertaining for the boys, and definitely not something we see in our little white-bread, well-behaved town...

actually, I love taking the kids into Toronto, because they are always fascinated by the hugely diverse population - we see the best stuff sitting on street corners, eating street vendor hot dogs and watching it parade past us... I still miss living there, although I truly love Burlington -

but I digress -

the birthday was a resounding success all round, with many new magic tricks and gimmicks received, Ben busy keeping the dogs entertained, and my baby becoming a teenager...

they all told me, you know, when they were babies, to enjoy every moment, because it would be gone before I realized it... I am so glad I listened, and was able to savour everything - first words, first steps - because it has passed in only the blink of an eye...

must stop blinking...

Happy (?) First Day of Fall

2007-09-24T16:17:00.000-04:00

although I always thought it was September 21st - however, if it buys me a couple of extra days of summer, I'll play along...

I have waited all summer for my morning glories to show themselves - RED morning glories - with nary a bloom, until...

today, the first day of fall...

silly flowers...

Wow! Long time no blog...

2007-09-23T14:57:00.000-04:00

and no good reason, apart from returning to routine (blech), trying to put the house in some semblance of tidy after a summer spent largely outside (pee-yew), and just general I-can't-believe-it's-the-last-day-of-summer malaise (sigh).

I have been knitting - of course - working on a brown ruffled shrug for Cindy at Apple Laine
That was an early-stage pic - I am much further along but my camera doesn't want to play right now...

I am also in the end stages of another Lake Placid pullover for Artisan Knitworks
(again, picture was taken earlier)

And I have three projects from the LYS, Spun, to finish for them.

But what about ME???

My poor little head is abuzz with everything I want to make for myself - NOW - and I keep finding more - I almost feel sick thinking about all the potential projects, and then I keep finding more, and feel even sicker...

I can't even try to list the things I am thinking of, because I really do get panicky and out of breath - for God's sake, it's knitting, it's supposed to be fun...

I did learn something interesting today which is non-knit related - I was pulling out a sweet potato vine from one of my front pots - it's done well, but is now deserving of a quiet burial...

know what I found at the end of the vine?

I really had no idea that you could grow potatoes on potato vines - I just thought that was the name of the plant - I was thrilled, so much so that I interrupted a neighborhood game of HAGS (hide and go seek - their acronym, not mine) to show my sons and their friends -

apparently their friends think I'm weird now - I gather they didn't before, which was yet another revelation.

But I think I blew it this time.