Quote for Tuesday, July 29, 2008:

The holy passion of Friendship is of so sweet and steady and loyal and enduring a nature that it will last through a whole lifetime, if not asked to lend money.
-- Mark Twain, Pudd'nhead Wilson

I love Mark Twain.

Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH **** Flash *** FLASH ****

Knit Witch is having a Grand Opening Contest . . . but hurry it ends on July 31 which is Thursday, like in two days . . . .

You should be able to click on the pic but if not you can try here.


And if neither of those works, cut and paste this link:

http://knitwitchblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/contest-time-again.html

Simple Woman's Daybook~15

FOR TODAY ~ July 28, 2008

Outside my Window... sigh, I still don't have a window at work . . . not until Thursday when I move into my new office.

I am thinking... that I got quite a bit done this weekend . . . playing with Zachariah . . . going to a graduation party . . . cleaning the office . . . cleaning the kitchen . . .

I am thankful for... my husband and kids and that when the deers jumped in front of Sarah, she wasn't hurt nor was her car seriously damaged.

From the kitchen... it is too hot to have anything from the kitchen.

I am creating... a bowl out of Knitpicks Memories (old yarn, wonderful yarn, no longer available).

I am going... to Birds of a Feather today after work to see if I can find white lace weight or fingering weight yarn.

I am wearing... navy blue slacks, stripped shirt (even though you aren't supposed to wear stripes . . . sigh, I just love this shirt)

I am reading... Simple Genius by David Balducci

I am hoping... to have my desk totally cleaned off by the end of the day.

I am hearing... WMJI 105.7 in Cleveland, OH

Around the house... we bought new placemats (cork-backed) to replace the old cork-backed placemats, cleaned off the back counter and put mucho stuff away

One of my favorite things... snuggling with the kids

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... out early today since it is "golf outing day" and I can leave work at 12:30 . . . but will leave around 2:00 . . . meetings on Tuesday (2) and meetings on Wednesday (3), oh and only ONE meeting on Thursday and did I mention that I'm moving my office on Thursday?

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Zachariah took this picture at Niagara Falls (American side) while we were there on July 5, 2008.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee,

How great thou art!

Swedish writer Carl Boberg and English translator Stuart Hine.

A Saturday post . . . how unusual

Today's quote:

The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him.
by Stanislaw Jerszy Lec

Wooo hoooo . . . a post on a Saturday. It has been a busy day. I am moving into my new office space on Thursday so Lindsey and I spent today doing fun stuff like moving my personal stuff into my office.

Found some yarn that I forgot about . . . nothing like having stash EVERYWHERE.

I have felted a couple of things and will post pics on Monday or Tuesday.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Friday Fill In - 7/25/2008 with PICS!!!

Quote of the day: A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of. -- Burt Bacharach

1. I believe whatever doesn't kill you was probably good for you in the first place.

2. If you're good at something, you should share your talents

3. Why so much yarn and so little time?

4. Something is out there, it's usually my son standing in the bedroom hallway and whispering "Mom, are you awake?"

5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled "crazy days and lazy nights."

6. Sitting on my back porch, I see trees, plants, kids play area, kids playing and our in-ground pool. See:

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to doing nothing, tomorrow my plans include moving personal stuff to my new office and Sunday, I want to relax!

SP 12 Question #7

Question of the Week #7
We are all creatures of habit and when it comes to sitting down to knit, it’s no different…

What is(are) your favorite place(s) to knit?

I have actually, three places in my home that are my favorite places to knit. In the evening, I will sit in my overstuffed chair (it is called a chair and a half). I sit sideways in it with my back against the arm rest. It is very comfortable and is where I usually knit.

If the weather is grand, I will knit on my back porch. I have three rockers and can keep an eye on Zachariah while I knit away.

If it is a winter (or cool Fall or Spring) day, I will knit upstairs in the open area at the end of the staircase hall. There are four windows in the area and it is just great to have all that wonderful sunlight streaming in.

What supplies (besides yarn & needles) make the setting perfect for knitting?

Sunshine and light
Fresh air
Comfortable surroundings (including a footstool)
Pillows to tuck underneath my right arm (it eases the carpal tunnel)

Tuesday

After posting FOUR times yesterday, I thought I should post something today.

I am in search of fingering or lace weight silk/mohair or silk/merino yarn in white. Not cream, not natural, not offweight, not just about there white, but WHITE.

This should not be this hard.

I'm thinking of something like Bob & Weave or Cozy or Ella - they all seem to be lovely and relatively simple.

If I had time, patience and energy (and thought I could pull it off), I would do Laminaria. I don't so I won't but then again, I may never find the most perfect yarn to do any of it with!!

Ravelympics2008

Ravelympics2008
Originally uploaded by jinniver1996

Pretty awesome . . . I am participating in the Ravelympics 2008 over on Ravelry . . . in the Bag-n-tote Backstroke and Felted Freestyle event competing for Team Ohio!!!

Swap Package from Cindi

Swap Package from Cindi
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

As many of you know, I participate with a KAL called WhoDuKnit. We had a one skein swap this spring/early summer. Cindi Unmack was my partner. She really went totally over the top with this package and sent to mysteries (Still LIfe and Club Dead) and a Murder Mystery Crossword puzzle book. She also sent a skein of Merino Lace yarn in a dark fabulous green. It is truly wonderful. She also knit the yarn I sent her into great slippers that fit perfectly. I love slippers, wear them even in summer. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Simple Woman's Daybook~14

FOR TODAY Monday, July 21...
Outside My Window... nothing . . . I am sitting in my office and I don't have a window . . . but I am moving in a couple of weeks to a space that has windows
I am thinking... about my to do list and the things I can cross off and those that never leave
I am thankful for... my husband and children and the laughter we share
From the kitchen... I would have liked to have remembered my lunch
I am wearing... brown jacket, aqua shell and beige slacks
I am creating... this new Monday bloggy thing
I am going... to be looking for white fingering weight silk yarn to make a shawl
I am reading... Darkfall by Dean Koontz
I am hoping... to finish felting two items that I did yesterday but have decided that they need another dip in the hot water
I am hearing... the laughter in the hall
Around the house... we are cleaning as Easter Seals are coming on Thursday
One of my favorite things... tomatoes warm from the garden sun
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: clean my office (in prep for the move), clean my closets (in prep for Easter Seals)
Here is picture thought I am sharing...just joy:

And, if you are interested in participating in this Monday posting . . . go to the link on my sidebar or, you can click here. I learned about it from Shelly and you can read her blog, by clicking here.

Grammieknits: 400th Post Contest - Go Hug a Tree!#links#links

Jane, a grand friend that I met through One Skein's Secret Pal thingee a couple of years ago is celebrating her 400th post with a contest. As a recipient of several things of Jane's, I know that whatever she does is totally awesome! So go follow this link and enter her contest:

Grammieknits: 400th Post Contest - Go Hug a Tree!#links#links

Friday Fill In - 7/18/08

1. If I could be a fly on the wall I would probably regret it.
2. Jealousy is so damaging and draining . . . spiritually, personally and is such a waste of time.
3. When I see a shooting star my wish would be that my children become happy adults.
4. I'd rather be normal and boring than eccentric and crazed any day!
5. Certain songs when I hear them make me wanna cry.
6. If time were in a bottle, I would try to figure out how to slow it down .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a picnic at Dave's principal's house (NOT), tomorrow my plans include the Greater Cleveland Irish Festival with my kids and Sarah's beau and Sunday, after Church, I need to go to the office, pick up some stuff (I am moving from one office to another office - same company just moving space - but I get windows - woo hoo), have breakfast with Dave, go shopping with Sarah and Lindsey, swim in the pool with Zachariah and, oh yeah, relax!

did you ever just have a feeling . . .

. . . that something important may be happening in life

. . . and that maybe if you start now, you just might be prepared

. . . so, I have ordered some fingering weight and beads and

. . . am looking at patterns for a shawl, a white shawl, with beads

. . . even if this mother's gut isn't right on

. . . I will be prepared for whenever so that I will be prepared

Besides which, if I am knitting a lacey thing,

I will not be able to eat which will also aid

in my ongoing battle with my weight . . .

which wouldn't be a bad thing if my gut is correct or not.

Oh, and did I mention that my nephew is getting married.

He just got out of the Marines, proposed to his girlfriend at an Indians' game.

And may be re-enlisting but in the Air Force.

SP 12 Question #6

Questions #6

What is your favorite type of project to take along on holiday/vacation?

We drive most places and I have learned from experience that I should bring a project for "drive time" and something different for "sitting around relaxing time." Anything to be felted will generally hide any errors (more or less) during the felting process. Anything that is a simple pattern is okay to knit also during the "drive time." But, I have a real problem working on any kind of complicated patterns or things that change colors or other things while driving. I end up spending more time frogging.

Although this last trip, I discovered that a really good thing to do while driving is to wind yarn. I don't have a yarn winder or swift so when I get tired of knitting, I ball yarn.

If you’d like to share a story…Tell us about a time that you packed too much knitting or were stranded without knitting.

In 2006, we left Ohio for a three week vacation, driving down through Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and back across the northern band of states, catching many of the national parks and many beautiful cities (San Fran, Portland, Seattle), camping at some great places (north rim of the Grand Canyon being the bestest of all).

9,000+ miles. I did not run out of projects. I took too many and too many reference books and needles and what not. If I had thought about it, I should have planned substantially better and taken up substantially less space in the van. LOL. However, I was so afraid that I would be left high and dry without any knitting to tide me over.

Scattergories - something fun

SCATTERGORIES ...it's harder than it looks! Erase my answers, enter
yours and post it on to your blog. Let me know when you have done it and I will come check it out!

• Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following.
• They have to be real places, names, things. Nothing made up!
• Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial.
• You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.
  

WHAT IS YOUR NAME? Mary Lynn

4 LETTER WORD: more
VEHICLE: moped
TV SHOW: Miami Vice
CITY: Middleburg Heights
BOY NAME: Michael
GIRL NAME: Marnie
OCCUPATION: Marine
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Muir (you can find the pattern here)
FOOD: Milkshake (preferably chocolate malted)
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Mirror
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Mystery reading
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: MOMMMMMMM!!!!

My husband is a saint . . .

On Sunday, the guy that does the scheduling for the scorers for the local softball leagues called Dave to find out if he would score six games on Saturday. He asked me what plans we have for this weekend and I said that the only thing I and the kids were planning on doing was going to the Greater Cleveland Irish Festival on Saturday. Dave does not go to the festival. EVER. So he said that he could work the games on Saturday.

After the call, he asked what else we were doing this weekend.

On Friday evening, his principal is having an adult only picnic that we are attending. To be honest, I would prefer to rip out my fingernails than go to this event but . . . .

Saturday is the Festival . . .

Sunday I was planning on washing windows. We lots of windows (21 windows and two sliding doors) and it will take all day. All day.

Anyway, when I got home from work yesterday, the windows were all washed. Dave had gotten up around 6:00 a.m., it was still cool out and he figured that he would wash at least the front windows. And he just kept on trucking and did them all.

Besides a two hour break (he had to go to the doctor and WalMart for school supplies), he worked on the windows all day until he had to leave to score some more softball games (around 5:30). [Note to all: at least at our local WalMart, the annual school supply sale starts this week. Spiral notebooks are $.05/each and boxes of crayons are $.22. He buys the crayons, pencils, paper and scissors for his students. The spiral notebooks are for the girls and for our use at home.]

Anyway, back to the windows. To have them cleaned and sparkly is wonderful. And, the fact that I didn't have to do them is really truly wonderful.

Vacation pics (minimal) and some finished things

Some pics from vacation, taken by Zachariah at Niagara Falls. The day was beautiful but he also did a really good job, especially with his really cheap (I mean inexpensive) camera

Saturday, July 5, 2008,

The Horseshoe Falls from Goat Island

Friday, July 4, 2008,

The American Falls from the Canadian side

Actually, shortly before he took the pic of the American falls from the Canadian side, he had been pouting about it being hot and there was nothing to see . . . then I dug out his camera . . . after I took this one with my camera:

And here is the lace scarf that I did while on vacation.

And while I was adding photos to Ravelry, I realized that I never posted a photo of the complete Fetching. It is done in Kaleidoscope by Dave Daniels. This isn't the best photo of the completed project but such is life

SP 12 Question #5

1) Where is your favorite place to go for vacation/holiday?

Anyplace that is quiet and relaxing. I just got back from Collingwood, Ontario which, since we were there about 12 years ago, has changed from a quiet little backwater to the vacation area of choice and the plan is for continued development and growth. I guess that is good for the area but not for those of us who liked it for the peace and quietness.

2) Where is one place you’d like to go?

Ireland -- Mayo County, Achill Island, the village of Pullach -- It is where my grandmother was born and raised.

A contest . . . from Aunt Kathy . . . and other things

If you like contests as much as I do, please go visit Aunt Kathy. She is running a simple contest between now and August 31. Let her know I sent you and I get an extra chance to win . . .

Thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You remember this from yesterday? Well, I forgot to mention that I had posted about this earlier. You don't remember that? Sure you do, it was to frog or not to frog.

And this is what I frogged to get the lace thing. Much better, dontcha think? And I tell you something else. It took TONS of time to do these short row triangles. The lace is not only much prettier but it was much happier knitting for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now for my public service announcement. A little less than a year ago, I went for a colonoscopy. My doctor had been after me to have one and I put it off and put it off. The horrors of it all. Finally, I had it done and beside having to drink the god-awful potion, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought and, thank God, I am fine and don't need to do it again for another 10 years.

The reason I went last year to have it done was that while my doc had been after me to do it, it was a co-worker who pushed it. Earlier last year (January 2007 ish), Larry finally had his first colonoscopy. He was 55 at the time. His doctor had been after him to have one done. He had no symptoms just finally got tired of his doctor giving him the "over 50 and this is a test that could save your life" talk. The cancer was so advanced that surgery was not an option.

Larry's funeral was at 9:30 this morning. I had worked with him for 36 years. He was the first openly gay person I ever met. He was hard-working, dedicated, funny and irreverant about most things. He despised the term "gay" but if you really wanted to get him started, mention "alternative lifestyle." He laughed about all the years of being careful with his relationships and lifestyle (although he did smoke and did enjoy drinking but had seriously cut back on both until last year and then decided it didn't really matter now did it). He also laughed about the fact that he wasn't sick a day in his life until they diagnosed him and then it all went sliding downhill.

The worst, absolutely worst part of this disease for Larry and those of us who loved him, was when Larry asked, his doctor confirmed that a colonoscopy earlier on his life would have most likely identified the cancer at a treatable stage. Larry asked us to pass along that message.

So, if you are over 50 and have never had a colonoscopy, please do not hesitate. Speaking from experience, the procedure is relatively painless and lifesaving. According to Larry, he had no symptoms that would have sent him to the doctor and it was only his doctor's nagging that sent him for colonoscopy.

I'm on a roll . . .

As I discussed in yesterday's blog, Lindsey wants to make a bag. We saw one at Blue Mountain, Ontario, which cost about $70. It was simple and, frankly, I thought butt ugly but then again, I'm the Mom. Anyway, the "in thing" for the girls in her school is to carry cloth bags. They are not allowed to carry their back packs between classes but these cloth bags work really well. Many have, including Lindsey, Vera Bradley bags. They suit the need but she really liked this other $70 one but not the colors.

They suit the need but she really liked this other $70 one but not the colors. It was patchworked with a variety of fabrics. Anyway, it sort of looked like the canvas tote below:

When we went shopping at Joann's we found this pattern the one in the middle (blue one). She bought seven different fabric pieces and one solid one. She is going to make it patchworked on one side, solid on the other side and with two different handles short and long that will attach with big white buttons. I know that we didn't spend more than $70 but with the time involved it will end up costing as much. Fortunately, the pattern was on sale for $3.00 (usual price $20 . . . isn't that a crime). The fabric pieces were $.99/each except for the solid, which for 1 - 3/8 yards cost $2.00. The buttons were the high price items with the total of three costing $5.00.

The really cool thing is seeing her getting excited about this. She is very artsy, has an incredible sense of style (seriously, look at the pic at the top . . . who else would go to the beach with the "right" necklace, matching head band and sunglasses) and will have a total blast with this. I hope!

SP 12 Question Week 4 - one week late - oops

1) What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?

I have some really wonderful yarns. I would love some seacell . . .

2) What yarn do you never want to be without?

Wool . . . any kind of wool.