Gotta Knit!

Eye Candy Friday

The Passion Flower vine has exploded with blooms.   Seriously, there must be 30-40 blooms on it.

Yippeee, it has been raining!

Feeling Pink

Baby pink for E.Z.'s Baby Surprise Jacket.   

Pink PJ's for the pure sassiness of it.   Slick and shimmery  PJ's that make me feel like a 1940's movie star.   They're a Nick and Nora set I found at Target.   Really am going to have to get the sock monkey set!

Decided to do the increases a wee bit different this time by using the bar between the stitches to do a M1.   Adds little decorative holes to the simple pattern.

My Day

            

                     
                         
                     
                  

What a lovely lazy birthday I had.   Woke up late (6:45 a.m.) without the dreaded alarm clock making that racket.    Stayed in my PJ's surfing the 'net till I realized I was hungry.   Made a fabulous weekend type breakfast with bacon and scrambled eggs of asparagus, cream cheese and onions.   Then toast with berry jam on it.  Yum!

               
                                 
                                           
                        

When I finally got out of the jammies and into cloths, I had to put on my favorite hat.   I'd been looking for a cowboy hat for several years only to find it when I had finally given up.   Was out window shopping in Santa Barbara with my walking partner (It was my first 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer) when I stumbled upon this store and there was my hat finally.

             

After grabbing my hat I then decided to put on one of my silliest tee shirts I got.   It makes me giggle every time I see it.

                                                               
                                        

Then off to the lawn of clover.   Stayed outside for hours just listening to the bees, birds and the occasional airplane flying over.

                                                               

Had a wonderful time just pondering, thinking and reading.   Oh got so carried away I even painted my toenails.   And well, since I couldn't make up my mind between two colors, I had to paint my fingernails the other color.

                                     
               

Course I had my faithful sidekick with me at all times.   

was sitting in the chair and looked over to the left side of my chair and this is what I spotted.   

The Man came home with two beautiful and huge blooming Hibiscus plants and sweeped me off to a lovely dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.   It's got the best patio dining with so much green from all the trees and plants.

All an all, it was the perfect day.   I got several phone calls, a few text messages, and so many e-mails.   Thank you!

Now that I am at a certain age I can pass along some wisdom.

-  Take the time to really know yourself,   for you are the only one that can make you happy.

- As much as possible, take the time to appreciate what you have.   It gives depth to your happiness.

Throwing a Question or Two Out to You

Hi!   said with a cheerful happy voice with the best smile I got going on.  Knock, knock.   Ok, I really need your attention here.   Yes, I know there is toothpaste yet again on that mirror.   In my defense, it's The Man's sink so it's his mirror.   Not good enough?   Geeze, rough crowd here.   OK people, I have cleaned the said mirror.   I even want so crazy as to clean my mirror too and (hold your breath) the guest bathroom's mirror. 

So as I may have mentioned, I'm going off on a trip next week.  (Ducking things being thrown at me.  Dang,  some of you have good aim).  Do ya'll have any suggestions for a good traveling book or two?   What I'm looking for is a great read that is in paperback.   I would like to read it on the way over and either leave it at the airport or in the hotel for another travelor to pick up and read.   I'll be getting another paperback in Scotland for the ride home.   Nothing to deep but would like a good read.  Pondering getting an Agatha Christie book because her writing is brilliant but am open to any good beach read.

The other question which I know does seem silly but any thoughts as to what knitting projects to bring?   I'd thought about working on those scarves for Christmas for two guy friends of ours  but do I really want to work on someone else's gift when my memories of the trip will be knit into it?   Probably not, so I know I do want something not to complex but not to simple to be boring and it has to be portable. 

       

I'm starting to feel like a deer caught in the headlights of a fast approaching car.  "Oh my God,  wadda I do?  wadda I do?   wadda I do?

Splat.

Proverbially knitting splat that is. 

Mild Disarray

Is it just me or have you noticed that the world and people in it are a lot out of sorts and not doing what or acting  like  they normally do?   Wouldn't be surprised in the least if I came across water running up a steep hill anytime soon.  Looking forward to the day in the very  near future when people and things return back to normal.

Luckily, for me I spoke with both cousins I'm traveling with who informed me that we are leaving next Wednesday for Scotland.   Now mind you, in the past these two cousins have proven themselves to be steadfast in their reliability over the years but I still had my doubts about their date of our leaving.   

            

Went home and looked at my calendar and there it was plain as day we were leaving Tuesday and not their silly Wednesday.               

             
                   

Then I opened the Itinerary that Kathleen, one of the cousins in question had resent.   Damned if it didn't say Wednesday.   To arrive at the airport 24 hours early was a bit much even for someone like me who likes getting to the airport with lots of time to spare so I don't become a total Stress Bunny Freak. 

Then there is Megan who it seems was Yanging to my Yenning on the dates.   Megan was leaving on Thursday instead of Weds.          

The even better news about me now having the correct day to show up at the World's Busiest Airport is that I now have not one but two glorious days off before I leave.   Lets not tell them that little tid bit at work, shall we.

                      
                           
                              

In unrelated knitting news, there is soft pink Baby Surprise Jacket on the needles.   One of my guy friends, Russ just found out that he and his wife are having a girl this fall.   Russ, my oh so hot carpenter guy from last year, is also a wonderful artist who's medium is painting and he has a true heart of gold so I just had to make something for his little baby to be.  It is a lot bigger right now since I even got through the increases for the sleeves during the Emory's Graduation yesterday morning.   Had to finally put it away when my fingers went from being cold to hurting to burning to not quite being able to feel how they were moving.   Rest of graduation my hands remained in my armpits.   Not very ladylike but I did begin to have feeling once again in my digits.

Big Doings this Weekend

In a previous post, I allude to a family event this weekend.   Figured it would be much better with photos.

A lot of my family and I spent most of the weekend celebrating my aunt's graduation at Emory University.   Auntie R actually graduated from their Nursing School back in 1948 but she was one of the honorees this weekend at graduation.  Emory has a wonderful new (started in 2004) tradition of inviting alumni that graduated 50 or more years ago to be honored and part of the graduation ceremonies.   Isn't that a grand idea!

Sunday,  the family kept it down to a dull roar of only 25 of us being able to show up.   There is much more in the family but school, work and life got in the way of everyone attending.  There was a breakfast, small ceremony and induction into the Corpus Cordis Aureum (Golden Corps of the Heart) where she received her medal.

                            
                              
                                  
                  

check out the medal Emory gave her.

               
                                     
                                     
















                

                               

Today was THE big graduation ceremony this morning where they got to lead all of the graduates in  to bag pipes being played. 

       

Did I mention we got to sit in the VIP seating?   So we were this close to the platform.  I could actually see their faces!

                     

Doesn't she look darling in that hat!   She had this smile on all weekend.

Eye Candy Friday

What can I say?   I'm a sucker for paws.

May

It's turned to  May and now it's sudden MAY.   Holy crap, where did the first 7 days fly by?   May has been the month I've been looking forward to.  So much going on and so quickly it is stacking up.   

First of all supposedly my horoscope for this month is the bomb.   I tell ya THE BOMB for this month.   This month so far?   Full of energy and um, a bit on the exhausting side.   Just to give you an idea by 11:15 this morning I was needing wanting a Stoli and Tonic.  Then there was the not one but two job offers within hours of each other.  Holy Toledo my head started spinning.    Have I mentioned I'm not looking for a job?  Nice to be wanted and one of those offers .  .   .   details in writing have to come and it did stop me cold in my tracks to think about.   We shall see but it's a stepping stone with a lot more responsibilities.   Supposed I'd have to act like an adult, right?

I've got big going ons this month of May.   Huge family event this weekend over Sunday and Monday.  I hope for pictures and will post about it.

Then there is the whole I'm turning older next week.   Actually,  I am really thinking that this birthday I will be going in reverse and  turning 38 instead of my real age.   38 has such a nicer ring to it.   Taking the day off with the infamous words of "I do NOT work on my Birthday!" with a haughty look the Queen of England would be proud of.   Have no idea what I shall do but will enjoy a lazy day out and about on my own.  The Man will be doing something with me that evening.

Then (drum roll please)   I am OFF TO SCOTLAND, BABY! with two knitting cousins,  blogless even after a high level of harassment from me, Megan of yesterday's post and another local knitting buddy of bad influence.   You've probably guessed but it's a knitting trip and it was arranged by my cousin's LYS, Dyed in the Wool in Pittsburgh.   More on that later but it is now 12 1/2 days and counting.   Very tempting to start counting the hours left.

Here is hoping I run into a certain fellow in a kilt!

         
             
                
            


















                         
      

Now if I could only pop by Texas, Rhode Island, Tennessee (more doable) and parts of Australia to visit my other knitting buddies.

Color of the Day is Blue

as in that depth of blue you find in the Caribbean when you're at the beach.   Blue work tee shirt, pale blue walls and popping blue wicked headband from Megan of Treats for Breathing.   She whipped her's up in no time and showed it off at a knitting night and many of us begged her for the recipe.   Um, mean pattern.   Do check out her handspun yarn at Megan's Esty shop .   I'm not the only one that is stunned by the quality of this start up spinner.   I am also friends with the woman who taught Megan to spin and her comment was "I've got nothing left to teach her.  She is a natural."   Let me tell ya that is saying a lot because Mrs HockeyMom is one Mac Daddy spinner and awesome teacher.    In all seriousness ya'll,  if you saw the colors she blends together and the texture your mouth would be dropping like mine each friggin time I see more of her yarn.   We, in our small knitting group, are beginning to fight over it.   Some unnamed hussy's (love ya!!!)   even snatch it up as soon as Megan puts it up in her shop.   Plus, hands down, Megan has the absolute best label I've ever seen for any yarn company.             

                         

Enough with the talents of others and back to my darling headband.   I used per Megan's suggestion the Louet Euroflax 100% linen (machine washable and dryable GASP) in bulky/chunky weight in Blue Fescue (heathers line).   Um, not sure just how much I used but there are 150 yards and I maybe used only a 3rd of the hank which is probably why Megan laughed at me when I purchased the Louet Euroflax just for this project.    Could have easily knit it up in a night but had started the project out with my knitting buddies of bad influence so it took two nights. 

Not sure exactly of the pattern, maybe seed stitch?   I just merrily followed along without giving it a thought once.   Ah, the Joy of Knitting, Eh?

I love my little headband and it seems to be getting along just dandy with my hair. 

Sunny Sunday

One of the best things about having yard is all the flowers out there that I get to bring into the house.         

We have several rose bushes and one had gotten completely out of control with the early Spring rain and sunshine.   Really should have place The Man next to it to show how enormous it had already gotten.   Lets put it this way, I had to save the Lavender bush and Chrysanthemum plant that it had  almost completely hidden under green leaves and about 1,000 blooming roses.   I kid you not.   This bush was on steroids.         

Spent about two hours clipping away, making bouquets, placing all over the house and then delivering bouquets to four of our neighbors.  Yep, all from one rose bush and honestly we still have probably 100+ roses in bloom out back after all that.

Bouquets at  the sides of our bed.

His side, check out all those books.   Hate to say this but they are all deep books.   You know, Hemingway, poetry, Moby Dick, Mark Twain, John Steinbeck, Dali Lama, etc.

                  

                      

                  

                     

                         

               

                         

                                                

My side got the Peony which is one of my favorite flowers.

         
                  

Then our bathroom.   (Hey Nora & Janet, check out the Japanese print above the roses.  Ya'll would love it.  My folks got it in Japan way back when my sister was a pip squeak. )

            

Course one cannot forget the Den either.   That room got two bouquets to join the Eucalyptus from last week's garden raid.

Did ya notice the tag on the lamp?   Still trying to decide on lampshades.   Wont even go there.

Actually, there more roses about in the house but by now you get the point.   My neighbors were thrilled with the surprise roses.  Their kids,  not so impressed.   We got the funniest "you are so not cool" looks from three 6 to 9 year olds.  It's a tough neighborhood for an adult.

       

Oh, Miss Annie decided to drop by and say "Hi" in the middle of all this.   She went with me delivering the roses too.   I need all the supervision I can get.