Yes, I did forget something

January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T13:11:00.001-05:00

Cooking, I absolutely love it, but I find that I don't do it enough. And when I do, I tend to gravitate back to my recipes I have been making for a while. I also have a thing for cookbooks, I love to own them, put them on my shelf, look through them occasionally, but I don't actually make the recipes in them very often.

This week at work someone handed me a magazine called :Cuisine Lite" from Cuisine At Home and I had to try a few of the Italian dishes. I made some Chicken Scaloppine (rather than the pork the recipe) called for last night and I'm going to give the Vegetarian Manicotti a try tonight. What I really liked about last night's recipe was that it got me to break out my broiler. I know that sounds crazy, but I haven't used the broiler since we got this stove a few years ago. Maybe I have a broiler-phobia. Well, the chicken (pounded with this) came out great with the Panko breading and quick spray of Pam, I'll be adding more of it tonight!

I did give another recipe a try this week, Chicken Saag with Chickpeas from the latest Whole Foods Meals for 4 under $10. It was good, but I had to cook it down A LOT after adding the extra can of water it called for. I liked it, but next time I'll add Paneer and not the can of water.

So, I'm adding "use my cookbooks!" to my list of to-dos for 2012. I'm going to delve into the latest offering from Weight Watchers, "Best Darn Food Ever!" No links to it, but the subtitle is "140 Comfort Classics You CAN Eat on Plan" and these look GREAT! I'm going to shoot for 3 recipes from it next week.

January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T15:50:00.001-05:00

Woke up to our first snow of the year this morning... fortunately, it warmed up enough for it all to melt away. I'm not really heartbroken that we haven't had snow since Halloween 2011.

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T16:34:00.001-05:00

This morning I saw a number that I hadn't seen in about 10 years on the scale - and that makes me happy! So happy that I set out to see just how far I can run in 60 minutes. Today, that would be 4.75 miles. My next goal is to make that 5 miles. We'll see...

January 5, 2012

2012-01-05T20:59:00.001-05:00

Today was a blur, first "real day" at my new job. Yup, that's it for now, back to watching the Bruins destroy the Calgary Flames (beginning of the 3rd period and it's 7-0 Bruins).

January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T07:10:00.001-05:00

My horoscope this morning (from the iPhone app DailyHoroscope):You may have a few problems to resolve that are left over from 2011, Aquarius, but they needn't be a burden on your life. Don't look at any past issues or transgressions as though they are holding you back from enjoying happiness in this new year. Your attitude is everything now, and if you look at any continuing problems as minor and manageable, you will have the right outlook to accomplish quite a bit in the months ahead. Work on being actively positive, and the universe will respond with wonderful rewards.Love that last line!

January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T19:24:00.001-05:00

First, good news - I went to Weight Watchers yesterday afternoon and lost 2 pounds! Love it when that happens and you aren't expecting it.

The tree came down today. Next project is to do something with the Christmas cards. I have been doing layouts for the last few years with the pictures and I think I'll do that again this week.

January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T15:52:00.002-05:00

Well, hello again gym! I haven't been there since December 16th and I'm happy to be back. 4 miles today, going towards the Women Run 50 Miles in January challenge. I have to say that I love my iPod Nano and Nike+ - it motivates me and reminds me when I have and haven't worked out. Since I have finished listening to The Hunger Games trilogy, I'm back to listening to Wicked. It's not that I don't like listening to music, but I really enjoy the audiobooks thing when I'm on the treadmill or using the machines. I'm off to Weight Watchers shortly, I don't usually like to go in the evening if I can help it, but I have a weird schedule this week and really don't want to wait until Saturday (especially the first Saturday of the year when all of the newbies and folks who have "taken a break" come back!)

January 1, 2012 - hitting the reset button

2012-01-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

Yup, it's been a while again, and I'm hitting the reset button on my blog and life. Should have gotten outside to run today, but didn't... slept in instead, but that's OK, it's just one of 366 days this year. Lots of challenges, creativity and Moving More, Eating Well ahead. Here are a few things to start with, I won't say "resolutions," but here are some of my 2012 goals:

Get back to my Lifetime weight at WW, so I don't have to pay the $39.95/month anymore. Now that they finally made eTools free for Lifetimers at goal, why not?
Run at least 50 miles per month, every month for 2012. I have set this goal for the last 2 months and haven't achieved it yet, but hey, isn't that what the reset button is all about?
Blog more! Yup, put it out there - successful days, meals, projects. We are all about positivity here.
Keep up with the one group I have joined for 2012 - Move More, Eat Well 2012
Frugality is one of my favorite words for this year. I am trying something new (more about this later, not ready to fully disclose yet), and frugality is a necessity at the moment. Not a bad thing and I know it will all be a good thing (it already is!), but more about that later.

So, without further ado, I must go change out the laundry... we do all want to start the year with clean clothes, right? More to come!

October already?

2011-10-11T08:24:00.000-04:00

I haven't been here for a while. Lots of things have happened in the last year and this quote really resonates with me right now:

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” ~ Steve Jobs

FOR TODAY

2011-02-19T12:16:00.002-05:00

Outside my window… the snow is melting and the snowbanks are no longer taller than I am

I am thinking… that we will have fun with our nephew Cameron tonight (including a Carvel Ice Cream cake to celebrate my birthday this week)

I am thankful for… the fact that Molly seems to have bounced right back from her surgery and will only need to have her e-collar on for a few more days

From the kitchen… lovely big and fluffy popovers this morning – I definitely did something right!

I am wearing… jeans and a red fleece

I am creating… more Zentangles with my 2 new books Zentangle 4 and Yoga for your Brain and still knitting my Derry Sweater (don't think I'll have it finished by next weekend)

I am going… shopping – to pick up a yummy chicken pot pie for dinner tonight at Ken’s Kickin’ Chicken

I am reading… I just finished Homer’s Odyssey – it was so wonderful – I laughed and cried

I am hoping… that I find a job soon

I am hearing… the ticking of my little purple Power Puff Girls Clock, the dehumidifier, cars going past the house and Mark’s iPod from upstairs

Around the house… we’re doing a little cleaning for our house guest

One of my favorite things… coffee and weekend breakfasts

A few plans for next week: more interviews (yeah!), lunch with my friend Christina and finally SPA is here! I can’t wait to head out to Freeport, ME!

Here is picture for thought I am sharing…

One of my favorite things to have for lunch is a big bowl of popcorn (yes, with real butter and some nice Fleur de Sel) - and I learned how to cook it PERFECTLY from this post... another "why didn't I know this?" moment.

Once again, as I am learning, I didn't have the oil hot enough when I dumped in the pop corn! I think that making sure the oil is truly hot enough before you put anything into the pan is one of the most important things I've learned this year. Pretty basic, but I have a feeling I'm not the only one challenged with this.

Advanced Zentangle Project

2011-01-31T11:44:00.001-05:00

Back on August 21, 2010, Tracy and I took an Advanced Zentangle Class at Absolutely Everything. I really like taking classes, my issue is getting the projects finished in a timely fashion after the class. It was a 5 hour class with a lunch break, definitely not enough time to get it all done. There were lots of pieces - flowers, a bird, a butterfly (which didn't quite fit onto my final project) and a Frozen Charlotte. In the end, I picked up a 10x10 shadow box at Joann's (on sale, of course!) and put it together today.

It's just so nice to get some things finished!

edited to add from Kate who taught the class: my original is on the cover of the new zt book #4! Pretty cool!

For today: It's Friday around here

2011-01-28T12:29:00.001-05:00

Sometimes as I read other blogs I come across ideas that I really like - and I think this one is a keeper. It's from http://thelinarstudio.typepad.com...

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... snow, snow and more snow

I AM THINKING ... will the snowbanks ever go away

I AM LEARNING ... that I really work better when I have a to do list

I AM THANKFUL FOR ... the fact that Mark is able to provide for us while I am unemployed

FROM THE KITCHEN ... wondering what I will make with my big haul from the Hong Kong Supermarket

I AM WEARING ... tan cords, a Bruins t-shirt, a pair of Solmate socks and a fleece jacket.

I AM GOING ... go to a Thai cooking class at Eurostoves in Beverly with my friend Tracy tonight.

I AM READING ... American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It takes me so long to read books these days because I only try to read them in bed – that doesn’t work for me since I fall asleep when I read in bed after about 2 pages.

I AM CREATING ... a to do list!

I AM HOPING ... that Molly’s surgery goes well next week and that her cancer doesn’t spread.

I AM HEARING ... the hum of my computer and the wood stove fan from the other room.

AROUND THE HOUSE ... laundry is going in the basement, fish’s water got changed out yesterday so he’s happy, kitties are enjoying some Trader Joe’s Tuna for Cats and the hubby is working from home in the living room.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ... making time in my day to get some Zentangling in.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK ... since I’m doing this on Friday, there isn’t much left of the week, but I plan to journal, read some more and figure out what wonderful dish I can mix up for dinner tomorrow night – after the Thai cooking class this evening, of course!

A PICTURE TO SHARE

Just too much snow. At least this picture is the nice, pristine, white stuff, not the nasty side of the road gray and dirty. And yes, that is the back end of my Volvo sneaking out from behind the snowbank.

Keeping Busy

2011-01-21T15:20:00.001-05:00

At Weight Watchers this week the challenge was to "treat yourself" - now she did talk about the "extra" 49 points you get each week, but she was really talking more about treating yourself with non-food rewards. I have been toying with the thought of buying myself the "Beginning Zentangle" kit for a while now and happened to have a $20 credit at Absolutely Everything so I drove up there yesterday and picked it up. The paper is so lovely to work with and there is nothing better than a nice fresh pen! I'll be watching the video later, but it did inspire me to finish something I have been working on all month (actually, I started it a while back, but had only done 2 sections until last week).

January 13, 2011

2011-01-14T06:45:00.000-05:00

Today I ate pumpkin oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast

Today I shoveled again for the second day in a row – hoping that it counts as exercise

Today I watched Top Chef Allstars and I'm not sure if I agree with the choice of both Jamie and Tiffany F.

Today I had lunch at the Howling Wolf with a bunch of girls and met a 2 year old named Scout

Today I shared the Zentangle love

Today I ate popcorn for dinner

did I do anything but eat?

January 2011 - week one

2011-01-11T07:44:00.000-05:00

First, a quick catch-up from 2010 – since my last post was in August! 2010 was not a banner year – two of my cousins (sisters) were diagnosed with breast cancer (both of them are doing well now), we lost the hubby’s Aunt Sissy (she was the impersonation of a “hot ticket” and she is sorely missed), my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and went through treatments which in the end were unsuccessful and he passed away 5 days after I was laid off from my job of 7 years. I really thought I’d be there for a much longer time – it was very disappointing and as of today, I’m still not working yet. Yeah, I would say that for the most part, I was very happy to say goodbye to 2010.

Moving on to the post-holiday first week of the year. All of the Christmas decorations were taken down on Sunday and the hubby went back to work after a 13 day break on Tuesday. Monday night I did get my latest fingerless mitts completed and they are perfect! I spent most of Tuesday on the couch not feeling well (I’m thinking it was my first day alone again, after the holiday insanity that my body just said to STOP!)

Wednesday I felt better and had a great morning – got in and out of the Unemployment Office in 15 minutes, went to the grocery store, Weight Watchers and then met up with my former colleague Mariah to go to the Peabody Essex Museum for the Treasures from the Forbidden City exhibit. Then the day went downhill – we got a snow removal ticket for $50 from the city for the corner – ugh. Call to our city councilor hopefully has taken care of it. The hubby really does an amazingly great job shoveling (a little AR even) – and for us to get a ticket was an insane blow!

The rest of the week included more applying for more jobs, reaching out to recruiters and a little Zentangling… Time with Mom and Tracy at the Willowtree in Peabody for mussels and wine, a quiet weekend with the hubby and Despicable Me and more vintage MTM on Hulu.

Food highlight of the week – definitely the Stuffed Peppers in my new pressure cooker. I do plan to make the Aarti Party Pumpkin Oatmeal too – bought the Almond Milk and have one last lonely can of pumpkin ready to go.

Cooking Post - why don't people tell you just how easy some things are?

2010-08-07T12:02:00.001-04:00

OK, now that my kitchen is finished (and OMG how I love it every single time I walk in there!!!), I am having my promised Pampered Chef party. Not sure if I really need anything new, but I thought it was a great way to show off my new space.

So, I was thinking about what to make and started looking through my old PC cookbooks and found a Chocolate Mint Meringue recipe in the "It's Good for You" book (don't tell anyone it's in a "good for you" book!) and they are in the oven as I type this. Every Christmas, for her big party my Mom makes Meringues and I absolutely love them - crispy, sweet, a little chewy goodness. Well, she never mentioned just how easy it is to make them - especially when you have a KitchenAid Mixer just staring at you from the corner. I think the hardest part was separating the eggs (and honestly, that's not too hard!)

So, waiting for them to cook, I hopped on the ol' internets and checked out my Bloglines - I know, it's old, it's not Google Reader, but I have it all nice and organized and I like it. Low and behold I came across another revelation - how to make brown sugar on one of my fave food blogs Joy the Baker. I just ran out of my Splenda Brown Sugar Blend and I do have some sugar, some Splenda and some Molasses in the cabinet and I may just give it a try. I think I'll need to make the brown sugar first and then double it up with the Splenda.

Any secret things that are so easy that you do?

(edited to add - if I say so myself, those Chocolate Meringues are yummy!)

Sunday My Way

2010-08-01T17:20:00.000-04:00

I have to say, I love being in my room with the windows open and just creating. Today wasn't quite a "creative" day but a "catch up on my online Claudine Hellmuth class" day.

Learned a few techniques, got through most of the first 4 weeks of class and got my hands all painty. Love that. I'm only one week behind so I feel a little better now. Gotta go clean my brushes.

Marinated Goat Cheese

2010-07-19T21:13:00.000-04:00

About 2 years ago I was at Shubie's in Marblehead - this place is absolutely chock full of wonderful things - be it wine, kitchen goodies, prepared foods or cheese. I was over at the cheese counter (big surprise!) and I was told that I had to try this Meredith Farm Marinated Feta from Meredith Dairy in Australia. It was amazing! I brought it home and put it in pasta, I put it on a nice baguette, I put it on Melba toast - it was just so wonderful whatever you did with it. You did have to watch out for the peppercorns, but oh my.

Fast forward 2 summers and every time I go to Shubie's I look for it, but haven't seen it in a while. Well, over the weekend at The Kitchn they posted about making marinated goat cheese. Well, tonight, right in line with doing more stuff, I have made some - took some fresh thyme from the deck garden, some nice sliced fresh garlic from the farmer's market across from work and some peppercorns out of my grinder and added some chevre I picked up at Whole Foods and covered it all in some nice EVOO. We'll see how it is later in the week!

No, I won't complain about the heat

2010-07-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

It has been unbearably hot around here (as referenced by the hubby's latest post), and I feel like I really should be doing more - more crafting, more exercising, more cooking in my new kitchen, just more! I read several blogs regularly, but I'm thinking of 2 in particular that are inspiring me at the moment, one is Chez Larrson and the other is Now Norma Knits.

What is inspiring me is the fact that these women both do it every day - Chez Larrson has been doing a picture of the day, along with her amazing home renovations and organizational ideas for 196 days now and Norma has been blogging for over a year, every day, about life, her terrier, her garden, etc. I think what really brought me to Norma was originally the knitting thing, but what has kept me there is her style, her wit and the fact that she is named Norma and she is from Vermont (my Vermont Grammie was also called Norma and I think of her every time I read her blog.)

So, where does this take me? First, wishing I had started this back before May 3, 2010 - the day our kitchen renovation project started. Second, I want to do something every day, using my brain, not just for work. It's funny, when I read the hubby's post, it made me realize that I am also in a slump - I want to do STUFF - whether it is knitting, spinning, Zentangles, scrapbooking, stamping, cooking, going for walks on the beach at the end of my street (I know - why don't I???), going to the gym I pay for, etc. and not just sit on the couch and watch stupid TV. (Don't get me wrong, I love me my TV, and oh, and hooray for True Blood being back!)

I need to finish some projects, not live in the world of UFOs (for the uninitiated, that is Un-Finished Objects, not the the outer-space stuff I love to listen to radio shows about) and one of those UFOs it definitely me! To do this, we (and I do say we) need to stop watching so much darn TV, get out there and move more and get into my craft room more.

Well, my first photo for doing more is this:

See you tomorrow!

What's on my to do list these days?

2010-06-09T11:02:00.000-04:00

So, it's been a while since I updated here - not sure if it's because I've been busy, lazy, dealing with our kitchen remodel, trying Zentangles, dabbling in some gardening, scrapbooking, knitting and spinning. And I have to say, with all of these things going on I can't seem to finish a project!

The kitchen remodel officially started on May 3rd, with the demo of my entire pantry. It was loud and dirty, but so exciting. I won't miss this...

Or these "countertops":

I am really hoping that we'll hear from the "countertop guy" early this week to get them installed. I do love the new cabinets, but honestly, not having a sink and having to use cookie sheets as surfaces is a real bummer. We keep trying to decide our favorite new thing - so far, it's the replacement windows. When it's all done I'm not sure if it'll be the dishwasher (that we haven't had in 17 years), ice maker, real countertops and cabinets... who knows what it'll be.

Vacation Planning 2010

2010-01-21T06:39:00.001-05:00

Coming back to work from vacation is never easy - and this time is no exception. Fortunately, only 186 e-mails and 5 voicemails (so many less voicemails at work than the ones we received from the senatorial race here in MA, even in the last day). One of my goals for this year is to do what one of my colleagues has been suggesting to me for years - plan out all of my vacations at the beginning of the year so I actually TAKE the 4 weeks I accrue each year. Well, since I didn't take one since August (no, I'm not being a martyr, just forgot to put it into the calendar - duh!), last week won't count against this year.

We have discussed where to go - Nova Scotia was on the top of the list, but CAT Ferry went out of business in December - very sad, we've been wanting to do it for and haven't gotten to it yet. Hopefully someone will reopen it. It would be about 11 hours from home if we were to drive to Halifax all of the way.

Other options - Savannah, GA & Charleston, SC - then again, similar travel time, and not really the place to go in the summer. Maybe we'll just find a place in Maine for a week. We always love heading to Maine (and if it's not to far from Lisbon, I can stop into my favorite indie dyer's shop Spunky Eclectic.)

So, still having 71 vacation hours as of January 15th and knowing that I'll have another 4 weeks added to that by the end of the year, it's time to start planning! I will definitely do some "vacation at home" time, but we can't wait 3 years again for another "real" vacation.

Finally cleaning up from Christmas

2010-01-18T07:27:00.000-05:00

I just love this idea - and I'm hoping I have some of the older photo cards left from the great purge of '09 (soon to be the great purge of 2009-2010 I'm sure!) to do as well: Scrapbooking Holiday Cards

I still need to take down the tree - and decide what to do with it. Our friends gave it to us as a gift about 8 years ago and it served us well, however, we were talking about doing a real tree again this year - and collecting some more ornaments. I know that collecting goes against the purge, but this is an exception. Where do you collect your holiday ornaments from?

Let's Get On With It Already!

2010-01-17T17:57:00.001-05:00

2010 - off to a bang. I'll let Mark write all about the trip to Ireland. Not all bad, but not all good. Here was a good/bad moment:

http://www.kylemoreabbey.com - beautiful place, unfortunately it was closed. The other unfortunate thing - we met some nice girls from Michigan who took our pictures - and the camera decided corrupt them. Oh well.

Back home is a good thing - fire in the woodstove, all the kitties back home and with no stitches or cones (although Molly seems to have caught a cold and so have I), and I am back in my kitchen. Time to make some risotto...

Not exactly how we planned to start 2010

2010-01-02T14:10:00.005-05:00

The plan was simple enough, just get through the first 3 days of work - Jan 4-6 and then on Jan 7, 2010 head to Ireland for a trip we've been talking about for years - the hubby has been saying since we went there in 2006 that he wanted to be in Ireland for his 40th birthday - which just happens to be in January. It's funny, when you tell people you are going on vacation in January, they always seems to say "oooh! are you going somewhere warm?" Nope, looking at the weather it's about the same temperature over there as it is here these days, but we have never been beach people anyways. (Yes, that's me, the girl with the see-through skin, year round, no thanks, really don't want any more melanoma if you please.)

Well, we're still going, but plans for the kitties have changed a bit. Oliver somehow got a very serious laceration on the back of his hind leg - right on the joint - when I dropped and broke 2 of our favorite dishes on New Years Day. He was right next to me and kind of freaked out, ran up the stairs and hid under the bed for hours - not exactly something different for our high-strung boy.

Fast forward about 6 hours later - dinner has been eaten, movie has been watched, and I have just beat the hubby in Wii Sports Resort - Frisbee Golf and Pickup Basketball (this is not the usual outcome - he usually kicks my but in Wii, but I had a good night - love the Frisbee Golf!) Mark goes upstairs to find Oliver on the bed, with blood on the blanket he's sitting on. He has a serious laceration on his rear leg - right on the joint and I can see cartilage, or bone or whatever that white stuff is in there. It's now 11:00 and I'm calling the vet. Snow has started coming down and we're off to the local emergency vet.

We weren't the only ones with this issue on New Year's Day - and it's first come first served. They take him in around 2:00 or so for sedation and stitching up of his big cut. Once it's all said and done, the vet comes out and tells us that he had actually nicked the sheath that covers his Achilles tendon - fortunately, it didn't cut the tendon but she did have to stitch the sheath too.

It's now 4:00 am on Jan 2 and I hand over the AMEX for the additional $$ and we head back into the snowstorm. It takes about 40 minutes to get home - but it's really surprising how many people are out driving around at that time of the morning in the snow.

Now we have him up in the spare bedroom, wearing a lovely cone for the next 12-14 days and will be boarded along with Molly during our trip. Morticia will have the whole house to herself - I think she'll love it.

Paper Crafting, Really?

2009-06-15T22:08:00.005-04:00

Well, vacation is over and I managed to do a few scrapbook pages (nothing exciting, no journaling, no titles, but I did put pictures on paper), about 14 cards after a very inspiring trip to the Heirloom Stamp Show in West Springfield, MA. Now really, did people think we were just going to the Berkshires during the first week of June for the sight-seeing? I did pick up some great stuff - my favorites were from Invoke Arts - including a few unmounted sets and some Luster Rub-Ons. I can't stop using them! Unfortunately, scanned cards don't quite show the loveliness that are Luster Rub-Ons (yes, I have been looking at them for years and never gave them a second thought - until I saw them being used!)

Here are a few samples:

and

Really nice stuff, if you know how to use it! I was also finally introduced to Eclipse Art Masking Tape - amazing stuff! Yes, I am still hopelessly in love with my Twinkling H2Os - and hooray that they are not going away after all! Now, if you have seen my collection, you would think that I'd never really need another color, but...

Well, it wasn't just a paper vacation, but there was a little fiber too - no spinning, but I did finally break out that Vesper Aquamelon and cast on another Chevron Scarf (SO Summery!) and cranked out a Noro Kureyon #149 Booga Bag that I started at noon on Saturday when I finally made it to A Yarn Over Marblehead (Jean we missed you!) and it was removed from the washer (2nd load) at 11:00 Sunday night.

So, yes, I have been a busy crafty girl...

6 months later...

2009-06-12T19:13:00.002-04:00

and I'm still here.

I have spent lots of time lately reading the hubby's blog...

Fast ended - quickly, quietly and with an amazing deal...

2008-12-05T13:11:00.002-05:00

Well, the day after Thanksgiving I didn't leave the house until 2:00 - no need to face the madding crowds so I didn't. What I did do was head over to Cranberry Fiber Arts in South Hamilton (which, being from there I prefer to refer to as "downtown Hamilton"). Laurie was working and she is only there on Fridays and just how many Fridays do I get to go play? Not many! There was a lovely bulky sweater draped over a chair when I walked in and what does she say to me? "Helen found a bag of that - it's Noro Yoroi - long discontinued - and she put it in the clearance for $6/skein. If you don't take it home, it's going with me." Darn challenge! She gets me every time!

Won't you know (you saw this coming) I grabbed the whole basket and brought it up to the counter... it's mine, all mine! Here's my debate - I really want to knit a pullover, not a cardigan, but I think it'll be too warm. Should I go for the ever-so-popular Einstein Jacket? I think I have enough - and I'm about the only one in my knitting group who hasn't done one (or two or 5)... I might just have to bite the bullet and knit miles and miles of garter stitch for myself. I think I have enough yarn... now I just have to get my hands on the pattern... and with a nice vacation coming up... ugh!

I can't believe it's time for the Bizarre Bazaar this Sunday! Hooray! Guess it's time to start my Christmas shopping (ok, I'm not counting Esty and Amazon purchase!)

21 days in and I'm still fasting

2008-11-21T09:34:00.003-05:00

Well, I did have to purchase a new tool in case I need it for doing up Thanksgiving next week - but it's a kitchen tool... http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00064NDY0 - a new hand mixer. I just could not find the beaters to my old one and I can't have a kitchen without it. (They may be in one of the "declutter boxes" from last year when we had the house on the market, but who knows.) For my 30th birthday (it seems so long ago) my mom gave me a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer - love it so much, but it doesn't always make sense to lug the bad boy out (if you've ever seen my kitchen, you'd understand why it has to be stored away!) I am hoping that this lives up to the 4 1/2 star rating it received.

I guess I need to go make up my menu and shopping list for next Thursday!

Um, yeah... about that fast I was going to start today...

2008-11-10T13:41:00.004-05:00

First, hooray! I love hearing about all of the meetings that our President-Elect keeps scheduling - as my hubby says, it was so nice to vote for someone and not against the other guy (or for the "lesser of two evils").

Next - OMG, did I have a terrific time this weekend at The Gathering! It is the biannual conference for the Northeast Handspinners Association and I learned so much! I took three amazing classes that I'll discuss later, but I have to confess something right now... I think it was fiber fumes...

Well, last night I happened upon eBay for a moment and for the heck of it looked up Spinning Wheels - I do this every once in a while just to see what's there. God knows, I don't really need a 4th one - and I love the ones that I have. Well... there was a listing for the following:

I don't really know a whole lot about this spinning wheel.
It is a nice hard wood and seems to be in good condition and all there I have a spinning equipment glossary of parts and it does all seem to be here.
I can not find any marking on it
It comes with 2 hand cards and 4 books
Golden Press Step by step Spinning and dyeing by Eunice Svinicki
Hand spinning Art Technique by Allen Fannin
Spinning your own Yarn by American Wool Council
Spinning Wool Dryad Leaflet 83

Will arrange for local pickup only (no shipping). Location: Melrose, MA

Now, if the package had not said that last part about local pick up only and had Melrose, MA not been within 10 miles of my house... and at that time the whole package not been listed for only $105, um, yeah, well... I put in a bid... a whole $112.63 (I've always bid weird prices like that) and at the end of my lunch break I received an e-mail that I had won it. OH MY! Now what do I do? Maybe my friend Laurie might learn to spin after all!

So, now, today, November 10, 2008 starting at 2:00 pm, I am officially starting a 6 month "purchasing fast" with only 2 exceptions:

1. The Spunky Fiber Club - this is automatic and very affordable
2. Accessories only that are needed to finish a project (ie. buttons for a sweater, envelopes for my Christmas cards...)

But that's it. And now that I've put it in writing, I'm sticking to it! I, like everyone I know, have WAY too much stuff to play with. Sorry all you vendors out there that I love so much, you'll have to wait see me in May 2009.

And now we wait...

2008-11-04T08:37:00.002-05:00

Done - we voted this morning and were only 10 minutes late to work. Not a bad line - it moved pretty fast (it helped that after 10 years I finally remembered which precinct we are in!)

What will I do NEXT Wednesday?

2008-10-17T08:31:00.002-04:00

Last week we made a whirlwind 27 hour tour to NYC and the Martha Stewart Show and this week I got to see the Yarn Harlot for the 3rd time!

Martha was so much fun - we left Salem, MA around 6:00 pm, got to the hotel in CT around 10:30 (gotta love that Connecticut traffic!) and were up again starting at 4:15 AM to get to Stamford and the train into Grand Central. Every time I go to Grand Central Station I think I fall in love with it again - honestly, there is nothing like it! The food, the people, the ceiling (always my favorite part!)

When we were outside of the studios on 26th Street, Angela and I were overtaken by Joey Kola:

So we got into the show and it was really cool - it was a live show so everything was on hyperdrive and the huge staff was flying around the floor - moving things and people. I was so happy that we were on the Everyday Food show - since I'm such a Sirius radio geek and love to listen to the cooking shows all day long! What did I do before satelite radio?

When the show was over, Joey said that there were a few tickets available for the 2:00 pm taping - and we were lucky enough to get our hands on 2 tickets and 2 standbys! All 4 of us (Tracy - great job getting the tickets!, Angela, Keli and I) all got in and I'll just say that a taped show is a very different vibe than the live one. The most fun part was getting to see Francesca and Sharkey - Martha's 2 French Bulldogs. I think that the show is airing today...

Well, time to get back to work - more on the Harlot later - she was as brilliant as ever!

We Feel Fine

2008-10-10T08:39:00.003-04:00

So, I was just talking to a colleague in the Netherlands and he recommended this site:

http:///www.wefeelfine.org

This weekend I'll share all about our 27 hour whirlwind tour of NYC and Martha...

This just in from SIL #3

2008-09-25T10:17:00.001-04:00

Dear friends,
I hope you will be able to join us for the opening reception of Overflow, at Laconia Lofts Gallery in the South End of Boston. The reception will take place on Friday, October 3rd, from 5:30-8:00 pm. The Laconia Gallery is located at 433 Harrison Avenue in Boston's SoWA Arts District, and the opening will be part of the area's First Fridays event. Hope to see you there!

Mary

www.maryomalleyart.com

Oh, um...

2008-09-25T09:35:00.001-04:00

My dear hubby just sent this to me:

nataliedee.com

Guess I gotta finish something soon...

Can't post... too busy Wii'ing

2008-09-07T11:28:00.002-04:00

I found the Wii Fit... and it arrived this week. So far I love it! Mario Kart Wii, Mario Super Party 8, Wii Sports... oh my. Guess I have to admit it, I love my Wii! And yes, we Wii together - I do believe that was the goal.

I have started knitting some new "plain jane" socks with some Colinette Jitterbug - it calls for size 3 needles, but I started them out on 1s... it is a bit tight. I may redo with the 2.5 HiYas I picked up at the NH Sheep & Wool, but I have such a fear of dropping a doublepoint on the train that I am hesitant to do it. We'll see...

I've been a Wii bit busy...

2008-09-01T12:57:00.003-04:00

I have been busy this summer... lots of spinning (and not so much knitting going on)
and I have a great basket full of yarn to play with:

And since my friend Paula had leant me her drum carder (after being totally inspired by the Color Blending for Spinners class at the Fiber Revival) to play with I had this:

However, not much is left of that (and I will totally card up some more of the blue fiber and white alpaca - not sure what it'll be for, but I LOVE the finished product!) I took it up to Beverly Farms with me last Saturday to show a very nice young lady how to spin. It was a beautiful afternoon and we had so much fun!

But what has taken up so much of my free time in the last week has been a little present that my hubby bought for me - a Nitendo Wii! I love it! (And much to his surprise, so does he!) Lots of Wii Sports going on here - and some Super Mario Party 8 too. Waiting for the delivery of Mario Kart and my Wii Fit and I think we'll be all set for a while. What a great gift - he's always thinking that guy - and electronics are his favorite presents.

Well, off to enjoy the rest of this beautiful Labor Day afternoon - I really want to finish spinning up the Yak/Merino/Icelandic to make a Logan River Wrap. I'm just hoping I end up with enough yarn. And then I'm sure there will be more Wii'in' this afternoon!

Post-Vacation-Itis - August Edition

2008-08-20T10:31:00.002-04:00

Sprout is complete - however I may need to redo the button bands to make them a little wider. Next sweater will be the size larger than I think I need. Pictures later once we're redone. Luckily I have a full ball of yarn left.

All I really want to do right now is go home and play with the drum carder I'm borrowing from my friend Paula - after taking the Color Blending for Spinners class at the very fun Fiber Revival on Saturday it's all I want to do!

Well, gotta get back to work...

Vacation Day 2 or It's Sprouting Again

2008-08-12T15:23:00.002-04:00

Ah, day 2 - and after much playing around, putting it off and having to show Laurie everything in my stash (OK, not everything, but we did find a suitable gift for a certain young lady who will be receiving her Girl Scouts Gold Award this week) she got me to get behind the wheel of the Jetta - not until we got up to the Home Depot parking lot (nice place to learn - they have a split lot) - and I think I like it. It really helps to have a terrific, calm driving instructor who will be merciless when it comes to making you start on a hill - over and over and over again! I'm not quite ready to go out on my own yet (soon though, I will do it!)

My other goal (in addition to finally driving our new car) has been switched - I think it is because it was so wet and cool so far this week - currently up to 74F in the dyslectic 90210 (aka - 01902 - other coast) - I have pulled out the Sprout and finished sleeve #1 -

now just sleeve #2, 2 button bands (and learning how to do button holes) and finally sewing on the buttons and it'll be done... hopefully by Saturday so I can bring it with me to the Fiber Revival and show it to the pattern author herself. A girl's gotta have goals you know...

Vacation Day 1

2008-08-11T17:48:00.003-04:00

So, today was eventful and hopefully the only "errand" day on my vacation this week. Yes, I got some spinning and knitting in (and I'm off to Knit Night shortly), but I also took Mugsy to the groomer -

And look, he's stepping on the scarf I finished today too.

The other thing I did was go to the Melrose RMV (and they were very NICE!) to order a duplicate title so we can finally donate the Neon... I'll miss the ol' girl. Hopefully tomorrow will be a day of learning how to drive the Jetta!

Day before vacation

2008-08-08T08:53:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to stay calm, cool and collected on this day before I head out for a week - my goal is the same as everyone's before you leave the office for vacation - get it all done and get the desk nice and clean so when you come back it is welcoming. We'll see how I do... wish me luck!

Gray + Rainy Day = Long Pants and Hand Knit Socks

2008-08-06T08:31:00.004-04:00

The day is cool, gray and rainy - and for the first time in months I'm wearing long pants. I'm truly a skirt girl all Summer long. The nice thing is that I am also breaking in my lovely Ginsing socks today with my good ol' Dr. Marten Mary Janes (and I do mean old - I think that I had these long before I met the hubby and that was a wicked long time ago.) My feet are happy! There really is nothing better on the feet than a nice pair of hand knit socks.

Look - it's an FO!

2008-08-03T21:30:00.002-04:00

I did finish a pair of socks this summer - Madeline Tosh Ginsing... yummy!

And I am working on a pair of Curve Ball Socks - so far so good - only had to rip back once. I have mostly been spinning this summer - it just seems a little cooler and more meditative at the moment. It also means I have some fun yarn to play with this winter:

Spunky Club Rosebud Single:

A Yarn Wench Tidepool 2 single:

And a few others... including some that can't be posted until the recipients receive them...

Saturday Morning Treat

2008-08-02T11:44:00.003-04:00

Every weekend, usually on Saturday, I get up and make popovers and eggs for breakfast. I don't think there is anything more rewarding to cook than the simple but delicious popover. I used to think they were so difficult - but what is easier than 2 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour and a little salt? The challenge is in the pan and just how much you wisk it together. The pan - best in a popover pan - especially if you store it in the oven and just leave it in there when you are warming it up to 450F - I never actually clean it, just leave it in my oven since it is the most frequently baked item in our house. The two other key things are not over-wisking - it should be a little lumpy - and be sure to spray the pan before you fill it 1/2 way in each cup. 18 minutes at 450F; 18 minutes at 350F and voila you have popovers. Totally worth waiting for - we just serve them up with Strawberry Jam... YUM!

Knitting and spinning content soon - I promise!

Why isn't my vacation next week?

2008-08-01T15:35:00.003-04:00

Well, in a way, it's better that I do have another week to get stuff done at work. Our whole building today had major "network connectivity issues" and the day that I was going to get oh so much done turned into a cranky, cranky day. Oh well, only 5 more work days until vacation starts - and tomorrow I get to splurge and eat a piece of cake with real frosting. I love "real" bakery frosting - none of that "whipped cream frosting" for me and when I'm the one who is ordering the cake...

We still haven't gotten to see The Dark Knight yet, and my list is long - Hellboy II (loved the first one!) and of course the new X-Files movie. Even if I wasn't such a fan of the show, I'd still have to see it just for Billy Connolly. Hopefully we'll hit The Dark Knight after work next week...

Time to get the heck out of here. TGIF!

How did we not know about...

2008-07-28T16:07:00.002-04:00

SPACED?

Watched all 14 episodes and the documentary over the weekend. I guess we're late to the party - but what a fun party it is!

Wordlet - cool thing for a Monday morning

2008-07-28T08:25:00.004-04:00

So I just stopped by over at Dave's (like I do most mornings) and found this Wordle - I did my own:

How cool is that? And yes, it looks like I say like too much!

Hey, people do come here!

2008-07-25T08:55:00.003-04:00

So the other day I was on a very cool blog from my 2nd favorite Norma from Vermont (my first favorite Norma from Vermont of course was my grandmother who tried to teach me to knit the first time around) and I found this: Feedjit. Way cool freebie if you ask me!

I have started to make plans for my upcoming Staycation. I knew that the Fiber Revival was coming up that week, but for some reason I didn't realize that they offered classes. How excited was I when I saw that Linda Whiting was teaching a Color Blending class? Paula and Vicky had introduced me to her at the NHS&W earlier this summer and I can't wait to take my first for reals spinning class! Now I just have to decide which wheel to take with me!

Another thing that I will need to do on my staycation is to learn how to drive our new car - if all goes well, we'll be picking up a sweet little silver 2001 Jetta GLS TDi tomorrow! I have told the hubby that he needs to leave it home for a few of my vacation days to get me to just do it. I can't wait! Oh, and my idea of calling a local driving school to pay for a private lesson or two - nope, they won't do it. So friends who have offered, I'm going to be taking you up on that - be forewarned!

Going for it...

2008-07-19T17:04:00.002-04:00

Well, looks like we're going to end up getting a manual diesel Jetta - now we just have to be patient (not my strong suit!)

I must say that I love having my own little room with my own little AC! I have spent the afternoon spinning and watching a very cute show Doc Martin on Netflix this afternoon - now I just want to know what happens next! They don't seem to have Season 2 yet. Veronica Mars Season 3 starts shortly... can I say how much I love Netflix?

Off to figure out what to do for dinner - I think I want to do some potatoes on the grill like Mom used to make - only rather than green beans use zucchini... Clean a good sized potato, slice it almost all of the way through in 1/2" slices like a fan. In between each piece, put a slice of onion (vidalia of course!) and zucchini. Wrap the whole thing up in foil, drizzling some salad dressing (preferably Italian) over and close. Put in grill until they're done. Not sure how long that is since I haven't made them in years. Great thing for VERY hot nights like this. It will also give the yummy sausages time to defrost so I can throw them on the grill too.

Doing the Stick thing

2008-07-16T09:36:00.002-04:00

And I'm not talking about knitting. Our old faithful 1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso that I so love to drive has decided that it needs more work than we're willing to put into it for a commuter car that gets 22-25 mpg. I love the way it handles, it's fun and cute (although as the hubby says "Instead of that happy look the Neon is famous for, it had a permanent frowny face.") So we are now looking into something I had never considered before (as I am more focused on fiber and paper than cars) - a VW TDi - yes, Diesel - Jetta or a Golf - depends upon what our guy has in stock and we like.

The one concern is whether to get an automatic or stick - I have never driven a stick, but after watching this I think I might be able to handle it. Hubby couldn't get through it, but I like the "open and close the door" concept of the clutch (oh, and not being a Bush fan it gave me a few giggles too).

We'll see what happens - and what we end up with.

HHHH Swap

2008-06-30T18:04:00.003-04:00

Here are my answers (updated since it looks like I missed some!):

1. How long have you been spinning? What skill level do you consider yourself? 2 years - beginner/intermediate.

2. What kinds of yarn do you create (singles/2-ply/3-ply/art yarn)? Singles mostly, but some Navajo ply (want to perfect that)

3. What do you spin with (spindle/wheel/both)? both

4. What are your favorite fibers to spin with? Anything you don't like? Wool – love BFL, SA Fine, Merino, also like alpaca (blends would be nice). Haven’t tried any plant fibers yet.

5. Who are your favorite crack dealers fiber sources (etsy or otherwise)? I think I’m one of Spunky Eclectic’s biggest fans, Lisa Souza, Yarn Wench, Traveling Rhinos (batts are yummy!)

6. What kind of fiber do you want to try? Maybe some plant fibers.

7. Are there any techniques you would like to learn? Long draw, spinning for a specific size.

8. Do you dye fiber? If not, would you like to learn? Not yet…

9. Do you have fiber prep tools (and like to use them) or would you prefer ready to spin fiber? I have hand cards and a flick carder, would like to try out combs and a diz some time, but I dream of a drum carder.

10. What do you do with your handspun? What projects have you completed? Hats, scarves, mittens, want to do a sweater and a vest.

11. Are you in need of any spinning gadgets (WPI Gauge, threading hook, etc)? Spinners card thing? Can’t remember the name of it.

12. What colors "fall into your shopping basket"? Any colors you just can't stand? I really like most colors – except neons really. (but I like to drive a Neon)

13. What is on your wheel/spindle right now? Only have fiber on one a the moment – a nice light blue from Ward Brook Farm in Candia, NH.

14. What other crafts/hobbies do you have? Knitting, stamping, would like to break out my sewing machine one of these days.

15. Other than crafts, what are you passionate about? Being happy.

16. Do you have an online wishlist? Amazon.com

17. Is there anything that you collect? Not much – just lots of fiber and fiber tools (OK, then there are the rubber stamp sets, but let’s not go there!)

18. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What magazine subscriptions do you have? Opinionated Knitter E Zimmermann. I subscribe to Interweave Knits and Spin Off.

19. When is your birthday? February 16

20. What book or movie character do you most resemble in personality? Hmm…

21. What is the climate like where you live around this time (need to know for careful shipments of anything meltable)? OH, so melty right now… they are saying 90s for the next few days.

22. Tell us one weird fact about yourself! I used to be a DJ in college (actually, I was the music director at my college station…)

Favorites
favorite painting/picture(link): hmm…

Candy: new fave – dark chocolate peanut m&ms or anything from Lindt

Food: anything!

Drink: Coffee or Diet Coke (Caffeine Free)

Movie(s): lately - Iron Man rocked!

TV Show(s): Battlestar, Grey’s Anatomy, 24, The Wire

Book(s): Diana Gabaldon, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Guilty Pleasure(s): Sleeping late and then spending the day in front of the computer watching bad tv on the computer while knitting or spinning.

Staycation

2008-06-17T14:51:00.004-04:00

So for years I have been doing this - the now so named and evidently becoming more popular "Staycation." It has honestly been some of my favorite times (don't get me wrong, I'd go back to Ireland in a second!) and today in my GMail I received an "About.com" e-mail with a link to this: How to Have a Truly Relaxing Staycation. Now will people start to believe me and not think I just wasted a week at home? (of course I never waste a week, but I do tend to do #4 and overbook myself.)

Next step - pick a week (or 2 if possible, but I doubt that this summer!)...

And yes, there has been knitting (lace even!) and spinning going on, but I have to take some pics before I post.

Has it really been a month?

2008-06-09T09:44:00.002-04:00

Well, I guess so! I've been busy with lots of knitting, spinning, trying to go to Maine, going to Maine and using the grill. No time for a full update at the moment, but I also have a new boss as of today. Lots of changes...

Post-Vacation-Itis

2008-05-09T08:52:00.004-04:00

Well, I really thought that I'd blog during vacation - after my last post it just didn't happen. It was a terrific week - even with the not-so-terrific weather. I washed my first 2 fleece (had to get them done before I head up to NHS&W again this weekend since that's where I bought them!) Just one picture - some of the Merino drying in the dryer (it never would have dried last week - just way too humid/wet!)

The Cotswold, well, it got a little felty... oh well... it was only $7 after all. I might end up using it as stuffing for something (cat bed maybe?). Live and learn!

There were lunches, breakfasts and take-out dinners, an amazing Eddie Izzard show at the Orpheum - I'd go see him again in a heartbeat! And of course, GTA4 arrived on Wednesday afternoon, so my leaving the house was A-OK with the instantly-addicted hubby, however, I went out so much during the first part of the week that I just hung around and worked on Sprout all weekend (I don't know if he even noticed I was there!)

Tomorrow night is the long-awaited AltCom Fesitval at the Somerville Theater - we're just going one night, and we're really looking forward to seeing Patton Oswalt. The only problem is that this is the last of our tickets for anything... now we have to figure out who to go see next! Why isn't Ricky Gervais coming to Boston?

Finally, there is this food-blog collecting site... Tastespotting that I can't stop looking at - and today I found something I just HAVE to make on it... Strawberry Balsamic Cupcakes. Oh, yeah, and I've been back to work all week - but at least it's Friday. And the MegaMillions is $145 Million. Can we win please?

What a weekend!

2008-04-28T15:44:00.004-04:00

It all started Friday night - Tracy, Angela and I headed to The Hardcover and started off with some yummy apps and a Pomegranite Martini (again - so delish!) We were there for about 4 1/2 hours and I had more meat - in fact it was a nice little sirloin with shrimp scampi. I had had Prime Rib on Wednesday night with René - it was so buttery and great at Victoria Station I didn't want to compete. (we did have a nice dinner, although it was a little creepy going back to the place that put me through college after so many years - and it has barely changed.)

Saturday was a sleep-late-OMG-my-vacation-has-started morning and I didn't get to the Gore Place Sheepshearing Festival until about 2:15, but it was a beautiful day and a good time.

First, I had to check out some cows and sheep -

Southdowns were cool:

And there was of course, shearing, however, my timing wasn't great (and for some reason little kids don't seem to understand that big kids want to see too!)

And then there was the shopping - I visited Lucy at Mind's Eye Yarns and picked up the most perfect new bag for my Hitchhiker (this was not the planned use, but if the bag fits...)

I got some great new pottery (I now have a coffee cup like the hubby - and I love mine too!) Also, a new casserole - I just had to have it!

One of my favorite stops was to the Traveling Rhinos booth - Eling has a great eye for color and convinced me (she really twisted my arm hard!) to try out some of her batts.

It was a nice day, however, it would have been much more fun with some friends (young or old) along for the ride.

Sunday was for the YARN HARLOT!!!

Well, what can I say - WEBS was overwhelming (and everything I picked up was 25% off!) and the Harlot was amazing as usual! She never ceases to amuse me. In fact, I was so amused that I bit the hell out of my tongue during her presentation. Luckily, it stopped bleeding by the time we go back for signings and pictures!
Stephanie Rocks!!!

It was fun to meet new folks - Casey and Michele - Ravelry is an amazing place to be!

Kitties

2008-04-20T16:20:00.005-04:00

Mugsy is definitely the ambassador in the household and gets along with everyone - here's proof:

(this one the hubby took with Oliver)

and here he is being all contemplative:

I have also adopted a big Christmas cactus from my friend Tracy because her new kitties keep eating it - hopefully Oliver will leave it alone. I think it looks great here:

And finally, one of my favorite purchases from Friday (more on that later) - I walked by Joie de Vivre on Mass Ave I had to go back when I saw this in the window:

It was pretty full on my way home...

Green Curry Soba & Salmon

2008-04-20T16:15:00.003-04:00

Ever make one of those "let's see what happens if we put these things together" meals and it just comes out yummy? That's what happened last night - a little on the spicy side, but I can't wait to have the leftovers!

Green Curry Soba & Salmon

All of my favorite vegetables - sweet onion, red pepper, aparagus, zucchini and carrots - sauted and sauced up with green curry and light coconut milk - mixed in with some buckwheat soba noodles topped off with a nice grilled piece of salmon - what's not to like?

Signs of Spring

2008-04-14T13:14:00.002-04:00

It's finally starting to have signs of Spring here abouts - in fact, I took a few pictures on my walk from Kendall Square to North Station Friday afternoon (I was very lucky with the rain - it didn't start until I got onto the train.)

a tree sprouting in front of Boca Grande and The Similians (best Thai around!):

walking down behind the CambridgeSide Galleria - over the Charles:

and a few daffodils on the walk too:

The weekend was wierd weather-wise - they kind of got it all backwards with the forecasts, but I still spent the day in my craft room cleaning, organizing and finally spinning up some dark brown alpaca that I had won up at SPA in February. Sunday was for bad movies (The Covenant - just where are those cliffs supposed to be? and The Holiday - ultimate chick flick, but I did love it), more knitting on my Sprout sweater and snuggling with Mugsy - who got another Lion Cut just like last year.

Sick... sick... and a new roof

2008-04-08T12:53:00.002-04:00

Ah, well, at least I'm not as sick as the hubby has been... just a huge energy drain, dry throat and an occaisional nasty cough. At least the cats were happy to have me home during Day 2 of the new roof adventure. Hopefully they'll be done today and the final bill is under $8,000. Good goal to have?

I did get some things done/worked on during the 4 days on the couch.

1. I was able to start a fire in the new woodburning stove/insert that kept me nice an cozy.

2. I got about 4 1/2 inches knit on Sprout.

3. I finally finished the final Diana Gabaldon book about Jamie & Claire. Or is it the last? I don't know why it took my 17 months from the day I received it (and yes, I did pre-order the minute I could) to finish. Could it be that I really didn't want it to end?

4. Watched some movies - some good, some not so good. More on those later.

Back to work now... slowly.

Starfish Update

2008-03-26T11:50:00.008-04:00

Yes, the starfish is still there at the commuter rail station. And the goose poop is back on our walk to work. They must eat an awful lot of algae and vegetation 'cause it's wicked green.

Sprout has been started, I have the collar done... I jsst want to spend a whole day just working on it and see how far I can get. I planned on knitting a bit last night but for some reason I was asleep on the couch by 8:35 pm. How lame is that?

Here is one picture (pardon the background - I know I need to sweep my room up!) It's my new little Hitchhiker - I can't believe I haven't posted it here yet.

What I really need is to sit down with my calendar and schedule vacations for the rest of the year. Does anyone else do that?

Ah, thank you MBTA for the notification system

2008-03-24T14:42:00.003-04:00

It seems that the Saugus River Drawbridge is just having all kinds of problems today - luckily the notification came early enough for the hubby and I to drive into work today - especially because the seventh e-mail stated:

Newbury/Rock - Train #124 (2:00pm inbound) is experiencing over a 90 minute delay due to an earlier problem with the drawbridge in Saugus. Train #176 (2:48pm inbound) will also experience a delay of 10-15 minutes. Please allow extra time for your commute. 3/24/2008 2:44 PM

My thought is that this can only make people more aware of the ineffiencies of the Commuter Rail and the T - I only wish they would reimburse us the $3.00 for the Sumner Tunnel and the $14.00 parking that we pay when we drive in due to something like this.

Oh well, it's off to knitting night at Panera with my finished Coronet in my lovely handspun - and on to swatching for my Sprout - I'm making the one with long sleeves and a long body... can't quite do the cropped thing these days. See, I do have knitting content sometimes.

2008 Flower Show

2008-03-16T20:43:00.003-04:00

Ah, it was inspiring as usual - and on such a weird day that you are driving up 93 with the sun in your eyes, but it's raining lightly at the same time.

Just a few of my faves - always love a big pot o' succulents (or three):

And I know that I will be in search of some Mountain Laurel for my yard (front, back, not sure until I find out what type of light it likes, but I know I like it!):

More later, gotta go check out what that Punk Rock documentary the hubby is watching is... I just heard The Bad Brains.

What's up with the starfish?

2008-03-15T09:13:00.003-04:00

OK,so we were going up to the platform at the Swampscott Commuter Rail Station yesterday and on the edge of it the hubby noticed this:

Weird!

Happy Saturday - why is it snowing? I know that March in New England is "the big tease" - but snow this morning? Rain would have been just fine.

Ticketmaster - hate them, but I will say that I am happy that I openned the other e-mail (not the one with the reminder about The Pogues this Thursday (YEAH!!!) and saw that Eddie Izzard tickets at the Orpheum for late April go on sale this morning!!! We were debating paying a large amount of cash to go see him in NYC - but no, now for the price we would have paid for one ticket we have 2 and don't have to go to NYC!

that was unexpected!

2008-03-13T07:58:00.002-04:00

I actually got into the Scout's Swag Club for 3 months! YEAH! I can't wait to get my first package!!! When she announced that they were overwhelmed with people trying to get in, I just figured it would be like the Massachusetts Lottery where I don't win anything. (ooo - $59 million tomorrow night, gotta get some tickets...)

We also got our first 1/2 cord of wood delivered last night - and now we know why people pay to have it stacked! It looks cool all piled up and neat (yes, the hubby did that - and it's as fastidiusly stacked as I would expect it to be). And we got the blower to come on. We will have to work on our fire-starting skills (OK, I will have to start with removing the ash first!)

Knitting has been happening, as has spinning - on my new Little Green Monster. However, the pictures of it, along with the nice stacked wood are still on the camera. I'll have pictures for sure next week since I'm headed to the Flower Show on Sunday with the SILs. Always a nice, and inspiring time!

Warmth

2008-03-10T13:10:00.003-04:00

Ah, it happened so quickly once we made the decision... we only looked at them on President's Day... and it's being installed as I type this (of course I'm not there, no, I'm here at Orientation with the latest group of hirees)... the Clydesdale!

Now that my body has gotten used to being in 63F all wrapped up in blankets on the couch, will this just spoil me? I can't wait to see it! And feel it!

What year am I?

2008-02-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

You Belong in 1981

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

I think they got it right. SPA was great, I love my Little Green Monster and report later... need a nap!

And the Countdown Continues...

2008-02-21T16:08:00.003-05:00

(Hopefully) less than 21 hours until we hit the road! Woo-hoo!

And to my dear hubby - I really do like to take the commuter rail - it was just that Tuesday morning sucked. Yesterday was just fine. Today - OK, so I'm guilty of driving in - but it was 16F and it's the last day of February vacation that I'm going into the city and you are still home sick - so yes, I drove in.

50 hours and counting...

2008-02-20T11:11:00.003-05:00

Until we leave for SPA in Freeport! Yeah! I can't wait to get going. Hopefully we'll beat the snow (heck, we're going to Maine - of course it'll snow!) My new Hitchhiker will be there for me - I haven't even seen pictures of it, not sure what type of green Spunky Amy's Dad did for me - I can't wait to see it!

MBTA Alerts...

2008-02-19T16:00:00.002-05:00

Or should I say, wish it had been less confusing to set up this morning. We waited an extra 45 minutes for the train today. UGH... at least it was over 30F and not raining or snowing. Not the bridge today, but a "mechanical problem" on the Rockport side and just some sort of mystery delay on the Newburyport side. Sometimes I wonder if it's really worth taking the T.

So this afternoon I finally got my T-Alerts set up for the Newburyport/Rockport line - I have a feeling it will be burning up my text messages.

Newburyport/Rockport Alerts

Newbury/Rock Beverly inbound train #72 has been canceled. Shuttle bus service will be available and will make all stops. 2/19/2008 3:06 PM

Now that one sounds like that bridge. UGH!!!

Only 76% Massachusetts? Really?

2008-02-16T09:53:00.001-05:00

I don't know how that could happen - must be because I just can't do Dunks - if I must go in there (to pick something up for the sister-in-law) I'll get a diet coke.

Have a wicked pissa day!

You Are 76% Massachusetts

You're pretty Massachusetts, but you're starting to slip. Go eat a bulky roll and flip off a New Yorker.

How Massachusetts Are You?

Eye Candy Friday

2008-02-15T08:03:00.003-05:00

Not going in to work today, but I was still up at my regular time. The good thing is I could head down to the beach and take a few pictures this morning. I love living 8/10 of a mile from the Atlantic...

It has been a busy month - and the first time I finish a pair of socks in less than 4 weeks! Hooray!

Super Troopers!

2008-01-15T07:52:00.000-05:00

During that big snowstorm yesterday not only was my train only 4 minutes late (on nice days it can be 10-12), I got to work before 8:00, but then my record-setting Orientation actually happened! We had 43 of the 50 people we were expecting actually SHOW UP! I was thrilled - and very happy that I had set up the room on Sunday (OK, so a little overtime never hurts either).

And I am very proud to say that I went to Butterfly Yarns on my way to work on Sunday (ugh!) and only purchased what I went for - no fibery goodness, just a wonderful pair of size 1 32" Addi Lace needles. How do I love thee? Oh my, these are just so perfect for sock knitting on the train - just the right length, no fear of losing a DPN, ah... and sharp... Now, I won't say that I wasn't tempted by the MadelineTosh sock yarn (mmmm... rhubarb!), but I stuck to it and didn't buy it.

Off to day 2... should have all 50 here today! Please don't ask me to memorize ALL of their names (but I do have a handle on about 1/2 of them).

GMail

2008-01-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or is anyone else having issues getting into GMail lately? UGH!

But it finally all melted out of our yard...

2008-01-13T10:33:00.000-05:00

What? 10-14" tomorrow? OH MAN! I have been gearing up for a huge Orientation for January 14th & 15th, my count at the moment is 50 people... and now the forcast is for very poor visability during rush hour in the morning and snow through the end of the day. What's a girl to do?

Sad thing happened on Friday, Emmy, my Dad's kitty succumbed to renal failure. It really made me think about Mugsy & Morticia who were the same age as her - they'll be 14 this year.

Knitting news - still working on the Noro Sock #1

Using the Yarn Harlot Basic Sock recipe - not counting anything (OK, so I did count how many stitches I picked up on the gusset, but still...) or following a "real" pattern - want to see if I can do this. One thing that I can do is stand on the train and knit... I figured that out last week.

Off to Cambridge to set up the room for the 50 folks tomorrow... hopefully some of them will make it!

Busy Vacation Week...

2007-12-30T13:37:00.001-05:00

Ah, but so relaxing! Christmas Eve was nice - yummy dinner, a super-long parade this year (which came super late - glad we didn't hold dinner until afterwards!) And then once we had the house to ourselves, we opened all of our gifts - including a fun new little camera for me! Of course, then I had to make a felted holder for it (OK, so this is before felting, I the felted picture is still on the camera):

And a little kitty - finally done:

Pattern from here: http://geobabe.livejournal.com/195349.html

I finished Mom's Noro Cashmere Island Scarf:

And did some fun shopping up in NH on Friday with Laurie... it was great to get out of the house. (More spinning/knitting was done, but the gifts aren't given yet...) Traffic was crazy, but we went to The Elegant Ewe and The Yarn & Fiber Company for some fun purchases (including a Flick Carder and a WPI tool for me!)

Gotta go work on my latest project - Forest Canopy Shawl in my hand-dyed yarn that I did at that class at the Yarn & Fiber Co. in September...

5 Days Left? REALLY?

2007-12-20T08:09:00.000-05:00

It's funny, sometimes I have years when I do not set foot in a mall during the Christmas shopping season... and this was one of them. I'm really much more relaxed because of it I'm sure. I did go to some stores, some restaurants and I did LOTS of online shopping. Only 2 more packages to arrive (not sure if my UPS/DHL/FedEx guys are loving us at them moment, but hey, it's job security!) from Lands End and Amazon. I'm afraid to see how much I actually spent on Amazon this year - we definitely got our money's worth out of that Prime membership.

I also finally tied the tree to the door right behind it and no tipped tree since (fingers crossed that it is still that way after work tonight!) Knitted gifts? I have a few, and one still on the needles (not sure if that one will be finished, but with a few hours of concentration, I'm sure it can get done.) And next week I'll even have some pictures!

Vacation starts in approximately 32 hours and 15 minutes... not that I'm counting!

Day 4 and the Tree is Still UP

2007-12-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

Ah, love that water bottle - now I only have to reach toward it and Oliver runs! And the tree remains up. My hat that I had cast on with my yummy handspun Monday night at our SnB, however, does not remain. Gauge? What's that? This would have been HUGE on me - and yes, it will be for ME! It was tough ripping out the 4 inches I had reached on the train last night. Oh well... it should wait until after Christmas knitting is finished anyway!

Plan for Saturday AM (before the snow comes) - having the new radio installed in the Neon - at least I was able to turn it down last night! I love doing these types of things at the mall with the movie theater... I think it will be The Golden Compass when I am waiting. I miss going to the movies by myself!

The tree is up - for now anyway

2007-12-10T09:24:00.000-05:00

Well, Mark found the tree up in the attic, and I put it up around 2:00 yesterday afternoon. Pretty new lights, cool new tree skirt, the few non-breakable ornaments (this is key!) and it stayed up - for about 6 1/2 hours... Oliver climbed up inside and over it went. And you wonder why we don't have a real tree?

He truly had a banner day - I swear I put my knitting away last night. No, really, I did. Guess not! I had a lovely ball of Noro Cashmere Island #2 stretched from up the stairs, through the living room, around the ottomon, over into the dining room, between the chairs and under the table, and finally around into the kitchen where I did locate the rest of the project, luckily still on the needles!

But guess what? The tree was still standing!

How can it be Pearl Harbor Day already?

2007-12-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

YIKES! And how is your Christmas gift-making/shopping going? I'm not sure why, but I always get a mental block before my mom's big holiday party - I just can't get much else done until after it's over. It's the same Sunday every year, and I have to make those dozens of undecorated sugar cookies for the kids to load up with sugary stuff. What I don't think she knows is that the recipe is from my first cookbook - 1972 edition of the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook - the secret about mine is that I use grated grapefruit rind rather than lemon. It's a very nice party, amazing food, good drinks, some of my friends come, but it's always the lobster scampi that I wait for. I am such a brat when it comes to this - I stand right in the front of the line... it must be the only child in me! Harry makes it so yummy and rich (he adds lots of red pepper and heavy cream and over buttered white toast points) - good thing it's only served once a year or I'd be as big as a house!

I do have a few things on the needles - but I can't talk about them because all of them are gifts! My Ravelry Chevron Scarf is currently taking a breather, but I absolutely love working on it and can't wait for my Christmas knitting and spinning to be done so I can complete it.

Well, break is over and I have to get back to work... more later this month... promise!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2007-11-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Well... it has now been a week and we're still very happy about our descision to take the house off of the market. Truly, the market is the pits right now and our house is really worth more than we'd ever get for it (and in 5 months we did not get a single offer.) What a relief! Commuting by train is just really making a difference - I'm even finishing projects. Which leads me to my next one - my Goblin Eyes Mittens. Of course you had to start out with fiber (Spunky Fiber Club October addtion) -

Then a little spinning, a first attempt at Navajo Plying (loved it!!!) and this is what I have to make my much needed mittens with:

Plans for today (yes, it is a beautiful Saturday and I'm staying inside, but the sun is coming through the windows) - reorganize my craft room (again!), bring some of my clutter - oh, I mean supplies - back up here and get started on my mittens. Tomorrow we are off to Joy Street Open Studios - specifically for this:

86 Joy Street, Studio #10
Somerville, MA

Saturday and Sunday
12-6

*I'll be there more on Sunday than I will on Saturday; hope to see you!
-Mary

mary o'malley art

Should be a good time (will blown glass be purchased again this year from the studio down the hall? most likely!) Maybe we'll see you there!

Hey, and the nephew was on TV last night - FOX25 News was in Danvers again - you can see him right near the beginning of this broadcast - he's the boy they filmed in the window, and then right after you can see their new house. It's really looking great. Hard to believe it has already been a year since the explosion!
Fox25 News Danvers Update

Happy Saturday!
A-

Really?

2007-11-16T14:38:00.001-05:00

So, I was checking out Buffalo Fiber on eBay and one of the listings said

"Condition - USED"

Why did that make me giggle?

I finished spinning up my Goblin Eyes - the Spunky Club October fiber, and then gave Navajo Plying a try - man, was that fun! I loved it! And the yarn is washed, whacked and dry and waiting for me to make it into mittens for moi this weekend... sorry, no pics at the moment.

Cool New Etsy Site

2007-11-06T08:30:00.000-05:00

OK, this one is a adverstisement - my friend Melissa opened up an Etsy store - and guess what, it's not yarn or knitting (yet)!

www.cherrysjubilee.etsy.com

She is an amazing talented seamstress who recently took up knitting - that is much easier to do on her long train rides every day to her job than sewing I'm sure. Her knitting is as wonderful as her sewing is. Give her a visit!

Amy

Halloween Numbers

2007-11-01T06:09:00.000-04:00

It is practice in our house to track the number of trick or treaters that we get. The all time high was over 125. Last night was only 97. I'm thinking it was because of the time change not happening until this weekend. It actually didn't get dark until almost 6:00 (which was also when the first kids came to the door).

I don't think it was my candy choices:

They were pretty darn good. The only thing is we now have leftovers which must immediately go to the office - away from our temptations! And don't forget to change your clocks BACK and hour this weekend.

(hmm... it was suggested that I use the Swampmonster to make the Fall Foliage hat from Knitty.com. What do you think?)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2007-10-31T06:55:00.000-04:00

My favorite day of the year! YEAH! It is hard to believe that it was 10 years ago tonight that we were headed out to Las Vegas for a vacation and DH proposed (and of course we were married 3 days later).

Here is some Halloween fiber - Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club October 2007

And two more finished spinning skeins from this last weekend:

First, Thunderstorm Alpaca 2 Ply (from my trip up to Spunky Eclectic-ville)

And finally, the Swampmonster - kept it as a single:

I almost didn't get them back after "show & tell" at SnB on Monday night!

Ravelry Chevron Progress

2007-10-27T09:45:00.000-04:00

See, this is proof that I get stuff done on the train. Laurie helped me roll up my rather long skein on Monday night at our SnB, and the rest is history. I know it would have been a nice Forest Canopy (as suggested that night), but I can do this so quickly on the train and I'm really happy with it. Maybe one of my lovely www.mindseyeyarns.com sock club yarns might work for the Forest Canopy...

A little spinning has been going on to... Swampmonster Merino from Spunky Eclectic too:

Now that I'm realizing it's less than 2 months until Christmas... I have lots to do!

Friday AM

2007-10-26T13:43:00.000-04:00

This is what it looks like when you catch the 6:52 am train.

The nice thing about taking the train is that now I get to knit - and actually finish projects!!!

I have finished my Karen's Sugar-Free Diabetes Walk Socks (yes, the ones I started back in March!), a little hat & sock set for a very sick baby, and now I'm working on my Ravelry Handspun Chevron Scarf - and I'm pretty happy with the progress!

More later... I promise! (No, we haven't sold the house yet...)

Hmmm...

2007-09-02T15:34:00.000-04:00

I am on my way out the door to check out what can possibly be wheel #2. Not that I don't love my little Norma - see why?

She is just so cute!

Well... I have had her for a year now and I think she needs a friend...

Now, just 2 hours later... I think that Oliver has a new friend. Any suggestions on the name? She's a Columbine, circa 1990s? and so far I am in love!

Yes, it did come from a house with kitties - thank you Paula! And I think this is Oliver saying,"I must make it mine!"

I've been a bad blogger...

2007-08-14T15:30:00.000-04:00

Is it really August 14th already?

Still no offers on the house - day 49. Expected - the average time is 4 months (but does that include the long waiting period to close? I wonder...)

Did get to see www.yarnharlot.ca in Burlington with Vicki - it was amazing and I'd go see her again in a second! I didn't throw the undies, but I took pictures of it:

And I did get my picture with her (with my toe-up sock in Marblehead Hand-dyed no less - in case you don't know, she hates doing toe-ups, but she was gracious enough to just comment on the very bright yarn - "you won't get lost in those!"

It was a long wrinkly day and I hadn't eaten dinner yet... but worth every minute waiting in line!

I just have to...

2007-07-27T19:31:00.000-04:00

OK, so now I have to go to the basement and find some suitable yarn in my stash to make the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket. I don't know why, I just have to. I have plenty of other projects going - 'Vog On socks, Perfect Sweater, Baby Hooded Sweater that I started last year, another pair of simple socks with a cool hand-dyed yarn from A Yarn Over Marblehead... but I have to do this. Is there a rhyme or reason? The book arrived on Tuesday... please, stop me before I hurt myself! I need to catch some of that elusive "finishitis" - but does it really exist?

MMMM... Zombies

2007-07-27T19:08:00.000-04:00

31%

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Lion Boy

2007-07-19T15:49:00.001-04:00

Well, I'm about to run back to the groomer to get Mugsy back... this is his "before"

Ta Da! All better! Yes, he really is a skinny little thing... but no one ever believes us!

Whirlwind trip...

2007-07-09T17:57:00.000-04:00

I'll post more later, but we just got back from a wedding outside of Madison, WI - flew from Providence, RI to Chicago and then the "lady in the car" (aka Magellen and I SO need one of these!) took us up to Madison, Cross Plains and Mt. Horeb.

One of my favorite places that I visited was http://www.knittingtree.com/ in Madison - what a terrific little store. Funniest thing was meeting a woman in there who was working a new bright red dishcloth who had moved out there from Arlington, MA.

I'll post more later... have to figure out what to knit at SnB tonight!

Molly says...

2007-07-04T20:22:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July! Now can you please stop making all of that noise? It scares me...

SP10 Final Package and Reveal

2007-06-28T08:27:00.000-04:00

WOW! Yesterday was very long - we got home from work at 8:00 and there was this package waiting for me:

What a nice surpise!!! It has a beautiful handmade bag - lots and lots of pockets that were just filled to the brim with items! There was a few oz. of silk and Irish Linen to spin, a home-made spindle - way cool!, 3 skeins of a so, so soft alpaca-silk yarn in such nice colors (the picture doesn't do it justice!), a really fun monkey journal, a neat picture frame, some very cute earrings that look like Lemonheads Candies and some very small stitchmarkers (these didn't make it into the picture), a lamb measuring tape and more (including some cat toys that we'll save for the next house)! There was also a nice bag of Sugar-Free Andies Candies, that went directly into the freezer, since it was 96 here yesterday!

Ruth from South Dakota was my secret pal and she really did a nice job! Thanks Ruth!

New Porch & New House Coming Along!

2007-06-24T18:20:00.001-04:00

Well, after the oil primer dried over night, Dad finished the front porch - now we just need to power wash the siding!

Then we went over to see the SIL's replacement house over in Danvers - their house had to be completely torn down and replaced. It is amazing how fast this has gone up and it was exciting because we got to go inside and see the layout! I can't wait to see it when it's finished. The nephew walked me all around the block and we saw some houses that are being lived in, and others in a states of replacement and repair and some that they just don't know what will happen to.

Busy Saturday

2007-06-23T18:59:00.000-04:00

When you haven't done certain things in 9 years, the really need to be done. We haven't touched the front steps since we moved in in 1998. Today, my Dad (thanks Dad!) came up and they got started - scraped and primed... tomorrow they'll be painted and presentable!

I feel like a slacker - I weeded the flower garden(for the first time this season - oops!) and went grocery shopping and started weeding out my craft room... that will take some time! We do have some very pretty day lillies blooming.

'Vog On - just a few times!

2007-06-14T08:33:00.000-04:00

For some reason I just can't finish my Marblehead Handdyed socks... you know, the very multicolored ones that have been haunting me. I'm halfway up the foot (toe-up) on #2 and just can't seem to get it together. So... the new www.knitty.com came out and I got hooked by 'Vog On - and as I keep saying, mine will be called Doc On since I don't own a single pair of John Fluevogs, but I think I own at least 8 pairs of Doc Martens... and I have the perfect pair to wear them with. The problem was getting started. I tried the AquaMelon Vesper (super cute, but realized that I don't wan a striping yarn for this), then I tried Lucy's (www.mindseyeyarn.com)Sock Club yarn from March but that didn't quite do it either. What did finally do it for these was the Skinny Sock in a very cool green/brown colorway from www.spunkyeclectic.com - I am truly a Spunkie Junkie! And after casting it on for the 5th time, it finally happened:

Yeah! I do have a few more rounds done - the picot edge was a new thing for me. What a great, easy starter sock lace pattern. I'm happy so far. Now I just have to decide just how long I want the cuff (yes, I am doing a cuff-down sock - there is a toe-up version too, but I had to give it a try)... and then move onto the heel.

Finally an FO!

2007-06-11T10:11:00.000-04:00

I have no idea when I started this - probably a month or two ago. I had picked up the yarn (well, the first 3 skeins) on 6/3/06 to make a wrap... that didn't quite work out. It was my first attempt at carrying yarn - very simple, but I didn't want to just have plain old stripes.

Yarn: Steadfast Fibers: Wonderful Wool in Eggplant, Cherry Ice and Light Pink.
Pattern: Elizabeth Bag (changed the handle to a simple flat garter handle)

Here it is before felting:

And then after - side & bottom:

I just love the way the bottom came out - I did it on 11s, the rest was done on 10.5s. Why? I can't remember!

Mugsy hung out with my while I was working on my Perfect Sweater too...
(yes, we do know he needs a trip to the groomer!)

What flavor Pocky are you?

2007-06-09T15:56:00.000-04:00

OK, I just had to try this one - we have been Pocky fans forever. But I can honestly say I have never heard of this flavor:

You Are Reverse Pocky

Your attitude: rebellious and cleverNon-conformist, but curiously a trendsetterWith you, up is down... and it's a wild ride!

http://www.blogthings.com/whatflavorpockyquizareyouquiz/"

What Flavor Pocky Are You?

Flowers... inside

2007-06-02T14:05:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is the picture of the "mystery flower" - the leaves are very thick and waxy too.

And more orchid updates (including the other one - yeah!):

Lots of spinning going on today - colonial top is just TOO easy to spin! I did work on my alpaca that we split at New Hampshire Sheep & Wool a few weeks ago - doing it on my new Golding Spindle... I might just do the whole thing that way. Am I insane?

What a weekend...

2007-05-29T11:17:00.000-04:00

Lots and lots of knitting, driving and some shopping... the best thing is that I have finally finished the back of my "Perfect Sweater" and have cast on the front. It was so nice to get that part done.

I did take some pictures of my orchid - there are lots of blooms on it now - I think it's 5! and my other one is getting ready to pop open in month now too. I love it! I also have blossoms on my mystery plant - I'll post those later to see if anyone has a clue as to what the heck this plant it. It was a cutting that I had taken from my sister-in-law's plant years and years ago and it blooms frequently - just something I have never seen before.

Speaking of my SIL, they have started framing their new house (remember the one that got blown in during the Danvers explosion?) I'll try to get by this weekend to take a few pictures of the progress to post. It is weird when you go down there - they have taken down more houses than we had expected them to - and you feel like a voyeur. I was talking to Laurie yesterday and we agree - we miss the Danversport Bakery's birthday cake (not that we don't agree on things all of the time!) Hopefully they'll be back in business one of these days. Right now the sign is still up, but there is no building - only the slab of a foundation left.

Pics later. I promise!