Sorry I can't post much right now! My sweet little MacBook Air has decided to take a vacation from turning on. I got some ideas for resetting it, but if that doesn't work I'll take it to the computer doctors at Best Buy. I paid for a service plan, after all.
mini-blogpost is very mini.
Scarf Progress Bar
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Swap Troubles
I've discovered something about my knitting. I don't love socks.
I really really don't love socks.
Seriously, they bore me to death, even when I'm learning something about the process. I like learning, I just don't love socks.
But I promised to make socks for my swap partner!!!! AAAAGHHHHH! Okay, so it's a secret swap and she doesn't know I've committed to make socks for her, but still... I dread the time I spend on them, or procrastinate from them. I'm going to ask someone to finish them for me, but just in case that doesn't work out, I'm writing up a design for another thing that my spoilee seemed excited about. If it works, I'll give her the pattern for it as well, in case she wants to recreate it in her own yarn or size.
Here's my notes. Some of you who are Who fans might recognize what I'm recreating? Anyway, after about three months, I'll probably put the pattern up on Ravelry.
So, so far my spoilee will get one cuddly project, one sorta useful project, (if my mentor can do it) some very cool socks, some snackies, two major souvenirs, and one poster. Oh, and a notion or two. And if I can find it, some pretty awesome yarn. I suppose this yarn would count as a handmade item too, since I dyed it myself! This is gonna be one seriously stuffed box.
I really really don't love socks.
Seriously, they bore me to death, even when I'm learning something about the process. I like learning, I just don't love socks.
But I promised to make socks for my swap partner!!!! AAAAGHHHHH! Okay, so it's a secret swap and she doesn't know I've committed to make socks for her, but still... I dread the time I spend on them, or procrastinate from them. I'm going to ask someone to finish them for me, but just in case that doesn't work out, I'm writing up a design for another thing that my spoilee seemed excited about. If it works, I'll give her the pattern for it as well, in case she wants to recreate it in her own yarn or size.
So, so far my spoilee will get one cuddly project, one sorta useful project, (if my mentor can do it) some very cool socks, some snackies, two major souvenirs, and one poster. Oh, and a notion or two. And if I can find it, some pretty awesome yarn. I suppose this yarn would count as a handmade item too, since I dyed it myself! This is gonna be one seriously stuffed box.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Happy Journey!
So, I took a little trip down to my parents' place. I was thinking, this is going to be rushed, after a long busy week, I'm just going because they like to see in person that I'm alive. But if you open your eyes, even a typical journey can surprise you.
On the way down, there was a moment where the sun filtered through the clouds, and the grasses and trees along the roadway were just right. Everything was golden, like a sepia photo! Golden grasses, oaks with that polleny stuff on them, the old asphalt road looking more yellow than black, and the late afternoon sun hit it just right!
Then, I'm home eating my Mom's meatloaf. The best meatloaf around, all the better since I saw the beef when it was on the hoof six months' back. And lovely smooth mashed potatoes, real potatoes but mashed until all the lumps have given up and smoothed out. As I'm waiting for the microwave to nuke my plate to an appropriate temperature, I took a look down in the big yard (farther away than the front yard. Hard to explain unless you've seen the house. Long driveway.) and wonder "did Mom and Dad get some of those corny deer statues? And when do statues move, anyway???" Yep, they were two very real deer! They didn't bolt when a truck went by, or when Princess the sheltie moved on the porch, or even when I stepped out onto that porch and looked at them! I think it was a doe and a fawn. They weren't bothered by much at all, until two trucks went by in fairly short intervals. Then, they still didn't bolt, but moved further into the trees so that the twilight and shade hid them. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Sometime next week I should have pics of my lovely new siding! The house looks great, with white trim and still a lovely blue shade to everything else. It makes giving directions very easy. Not too many other deep blue houses around!
I biked again yesterday. It still hurt, and I still ended up walking the bike up a few hills, but oh so fun! I did almost scare myself to death when I had to brake on a downhill curve. I thought for sure I'd go completely over the intersecting road and crash down the hill on the other side. Or turn the bike on its side and make my leg into pizza. But I made it! I think next week I'll try to take shorter rides, but take them every day I don't work late.
On the way down, there was a moment where the sun filtered through the clouds, and the grasses and trees along the roadway were just right. Everything was golden, like a sepia photo! Golden grasses, oaks with that polleny stuff on them, the old asphalt road looking more yellow than black, and the late afternoon sun hit it just right!
Then, I'm home eating my Mom's meatloaf. The best meatloaf around, all the better since I saw the beef when it was on the hoof six months' back. And lovely smooth mashed potatoes, real potatoes but mashed until all the lumps have given up and smoothed out. As I'm waiting for the microwave to nuke my plate to an appropriate temperature, I took a look down in the big yard (farther away than the front yard. Hard to explain unless you've seen the house. Long driveway.) and wonder "did Mom and Dad get some of those corny deer statues? And when do statues move, anyway???" Yep, they were two very real deer! They didn't bolt when a truck went by, or when Princess the sheltie moved on the porch, or even when I stepped out onto that porch and looked at them! I think it was a doe and a fawn. They weren't bothered by much at all, until two trucks went by in fairly short intervals. Then, they still didn't bolt, but moved further into the trees so that the twilight and shade hid them. SO BEAUTIFUL!
Sometime next week I should have pics of my lovely new siding! The house looks great, with white trim and still a lovely blue shade to everything else. It makes giving directions very easy. Not too many other deep blue houses around!
I biked again yesterday. It still hurt, and I still ended up walking the bike up a few hills, but oh so fun! I did almost scare myself to death when I had to brake on a downhill curve. I thought for sure I'd go completely over the intersecting road and crash down the hill on the other side. Or turn the bike on its side and make my leg into pizza. But I made it! I think next week I'll try to take shorter rides, but take them every day I don't work late.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Pushing Pedals
Oh, what a day! I got on my bike for the first time today. Well, I did pedal around a parking lot for a little while yesterday, but no helmet so I didn't do that for long. Today, Bill & Betsy came over and whee! We took a tour of the neighborhood. I overdid it, bigtime. But it was so much fun! Perfect weather, sunny but not too hot, dry roads, low traffic levels. Lots of people were getting out and about, doing yard work or playing as we pedaled past. The route I chose was probably less than a mile. Ugh. I'm still so out of shape. Next time I'll do more. Tonight, I'll try to salve myself with Tylenol and Benadryl.
I was very proud of myself, though, for making it to bookclub. I really just felt like curling up in a ball of pain and coughing after the ride (and a shower) but I pushed through that and got myself over to Amy's place. And what a good time I had! All five of us finally made it at the same time, there was loads of food, I think a couple of us even read the book. That's a great group of gals, really. Plus, Amy had finished the zipper on a felted bag I've got. Thanks, Amy! Now all it needs is a nice big button and a new strap.
Speaking of knitting projects, I just had to take a bit of a break from the Tardis socks. So, for the weekend, I let myself work on the Shapechanger Shrug from my Vampire Knits book. Really, I'm not into vamps and werewolves, but this book has some really nifty projects, so I bought it. Here's the shrug so far...
It doesn't work so well to try and show off the ball of yarn, project, book, and knitting basket all at the same time. At least that second pic shows the stitch pattern nicely! This yarn is wonderfully soft, but I bet it'll pill like crazy. I don't think I'll care, as soft and beautiful as this shrug is gonna be!
Oh, and you can blame the slowness of this post on all the wonderful people in the Doctor Who themed swap. They post only a few hundred things every day, and for some reason I feel the need to read them all before I move on to other internet stuff! It's so fun to assemble my spoilee's package, though. Hopefully I can get it through airport security without too much problem in a couple of weeks.
I was very proud of myself, though, for making it to bookclub. I really just felt like curling up in a ball of pain and coughing after the ride (and a shower) but I pushed through that and got myself over to Amy's place. And what a good time I had! All five of us finally made it at the same time, there was loads of food, I think a couple of us even read the book. That's a great group of gals, really. Plus, Amy had finished the zipper on a felted bag I've got. Thanks, Amy! Now all it needs is a nice big button and a new strap.
Speaking of knitting projects, I just had to take a bit of a break from the Tardis socks. So, for the weekend, I let myself work on the Shapechanger Shrug from my Vampire Knits book. Really, I'm not into vamps and werewolves, but this book has some really nifty projects, so I bought it. Here's the shrug so far...
Oh, and you can blame the slowness of this post on all the wonderful people in the Doctor Who themed swap. They post only a few hundred things every day, and for some reason I feel the need to read them all before I move on to other internet stuff! It's so fun to assemble my spoilee's package, though. Hopefully I can get it through airport security without too much problem in a couple of weeks.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Six Months Already?!?
So, I realized today that I've been a widow for six months. There's that strange time twist where sometimes it feels like so short a time, sometimes it seems like forever. Oddly, the other life condition that felt like this was marriage. Marriage, I felt it in a good way. Not so much widowhood.
And now my supervisor at work has passed away. It's going to shake up the whole library, big segments of the community, really, since she started out as a children's librarian. We knew it was coming, but gosh, when it happens you're always like "How could it happen so fast?!?" Is there ever enough time in the life of an individual?
Maybe I shouldn't be talking about her so soon. I haven't worked through my feelings AT ALL on that front. Why else would I be watching an X-Games documentary right now? I'm really not interested. It's noise. Just chaos and static to fill up my head.
Ty knows something's up. I can't get him to lie down anywhere but ON my foot. Well, at least I've already had dinner. No need to move until.... oh dang, I need some water. Sorry, pooch.
The "Year" in "A Year Alone" refers to 2011, not the "how many months since...". It is hard to describe, but I visualize the year as sort of a horseshoe. One end is January, the other December. A clear break between one December and the next year, very little connection between the two. So, I suppose April is climbing up one side of the horseshoe, getting to the high plateau of summer. Funny visual image, huh? Who else bothers to think about how they think about a calendar year?
And now my supervisor at work has passed away. It's going to shake up the whole library, big segments of the community, really, since she started out as a children's librarian. We knew it was coming, but gosh, when it happens you're always like "How could it happen so fast?!?" Is there ever enough time in the life of an individual?
Maybe I shouldn't be talking about her so soon. I haven't worked through my feelings AT ALL on that front. Why else would I be watching an X-Games documentary right now? I'm really not interested. It's noise. Just chaos and static to fill up my head.
Ty knows something's up. I can't get him to lie down anywhere but ON my foot. Well, at least I've already had dinner. No need to move until.... oh dang, I need some water. Sorry, pooch.
The "Year" in "A Year Alone" refers to 2011, not the "how many months since...". It is hard to describe, but I visualize the year as sort of a horseshoe. One end is January, the other December. A clear break between one December and the next year, very little connection between the two. So, I suppose April is climbing up one side of the horseshoe, getting to the high plateau of summer. Funny visual image, huh? Who else bothers to think about how they think about a calendar year?
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Poetry of Storms
Last night there came a magnificent storm! It was windy all weekend, so nice. Sunday, the breezes really roared through! I opened the back door, so the pups could go in and out as they wished while the house aired out a bit. It was just glorious! And helped me put off turning on the AC. Which was very good, since today was back in the 40s F. Shiver.
I'd been sort of melancholy all weekend, so when I heard the storm start to build late in the evening, I just went outside and stood in the night. The trees swayed, especially the big maple in my neighbor's yard. My pear tree held on to its blossoms and just whispered, but the grove of trees across the street made the most wonderful racket with the wind racing through! There's just nothing like a forest in a storm. Dangerous, yes, scary, perhaps, but wildly beautiful if you're in the right mood.
The moisture in the air bit into my bare arms. Not even enough to call droplets, just the fierce bits driven ahead, telling you there's going to be a downpour soon. The sky lit up sporadically, too distant to make out lightning bolts or hear thunder at first, but it came soon enough! Great rumbles like rocks tumbling around far above the ground. The occasional crack, like a great tree breaking, followed by the echoing reports. The lightning stayed high above, not revealing itself in the spiderweb patterns I love, but I will see that sometime this spring or summer, I'm sure.
The only regret I had was seeing a beautiful big tree felled, on my usual driving route to work. At least it didn't fall on person or property, but I'll still miss the big guy.
I tried to get pictures of the storm, but my camera fussed about the lighting conditions. It's not really meant for fancy methods. Or action shots. Mostly, it's okay for posed pictures and landscapes and close-ups. At some point I'll think about a new camera.
Oh, congrats to David Tennant and Georgia Moffat, new parents! They must be so happy! Here's hoping little Olive is healthy, and they can all get some sleep before long. Yay, Doctor Who baby! Really, even her grandfathers have been in Who episodes, either as the Doctor or a small extra part. I suppose, since she's granddaughter of a Doctor, she should be Susan, but Olive is a beautiful name too. I'd thought her birthday was April 1, but I think it was late March. Having an April Fool's birthday could be fun sometimes, annoying in the extreme though. March is good. My dad's a March guy.
I'd been sort of melancholy all weekend, so when I heard the storm start to build late in the evening, I just went outside and stood in the night. The trees swayed, especially the big maple in my neighbor's yard. My pear tree held on to its blossoms and just whispered, but the grove of trees across the street made the most wonderful racket with the wind racing through! There's just nothing like a forest in a storm. Dangerous, yes, scary, perhaps, but wildly beautiful if you're in the right mood.
The moisture in the air bit into my bare arms. Not even enough to call droplets, just the fierce bits driven ahead, telling you there's going to be a downpour soon. The sky lit up sporadically, too distant to make out lightning bolts or hear thunder at first, but it came soon enough! Great rumbles like rocks tumbling around far above the ground. The occasional crack, like a great tree breaking, followed by the echoing reports. The lightning stayed high above, not revealing itself in the spiderweb patterns I love, but I will see that sometime this spring or summer, I'm sure.
The only regret I had was seeing a beautiful big tree felled, on my usual driving route to work. At least it didn't fall on person or property, but I'll still miss the big guy.
I tried to get pictures of the storm, but my camera fussed about the lighting conditions. It's not really meant for fancy methods. Or action shots. Mostly, it's okay for posed pictures and landscapes and close-ups. At some point I'll think about a new camera.
Oh, congrats to David Tennant and Georgia Moffat, new parents! They must be so happy! Here's hoping little Olive is healthy, and they can all get some sleep before long. Yay, Doctor Who baby! Really, even her grandfathers have been in Who episodes, either as the Doctor or a small extra part. I suppose, since she's granddaughter of a Doctor, she should be Susan, but Olive is a beautiful name too. I'd thought her birthday was April 1, but I think it was late March. Having an April Fool's birthday could be fun sometimes, annoying in the extreme though. March is good. My dad's a March guy.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Break Time's Over!
Whooo! Spring Break Week is over! The students will be back and once more the town will feel a little bit overcrowded. Gone will be the days of easy parking and fewer lines. But it’ll be worth it. A good number of my coworkers will also return. Not too many people ask for vacation the week after Spring Break, so we should be able to knock out the weekend backlog fairly easy come Monday. Did I mention I really appreciate my coworkers?
Good weather seems to finally be here as well. Yay for warm breezy days! They make me want to go buy a kite. (hee hee, spelling mistake, I just invented the word “guy”, not meaning a man but combining “go” and “buy”. Also a good example of why you can’t rely on spell-check.)
On the knitting front: I’m plodding along on the socks. I’ve been mostly monogamous with that project, just so I can get it done, but today I strayed briefly into swatching for a new project. I got two rows done. The pattern is about thirty rows. But now it’s back to the socks. I so want to get to the heel this week!
This weekend is the anniversary of a lot of sad things. One of Michael’s major hospitalizations, and two graveside services. Same cemetery. It’s also one of my cousins’ birthday, so happy b-day, cuz. It all affirms what a roller-coaster of emotions life can be, right?
Tomorrow will be a major shopping trip. I need groceries, I want some general (non-yarn) craft supplies, and maybe I’ll even look for some walking sandals. That’s a hard find for me. I’m so picky about shoes! I’m looking for a pair of sandals that 1. Fit great 2. Are good for walking and 3. Can work for a nice evening outfit. Tall order! Shoe Carnival may be my best bet there. I have really loved my Skechers Shape-ups, but they’re wearing out. Maybe I can get a replacement pair at the same time as I begin the Sandal Search.
Imagine how picky I’m going to be when I begin the Eye Glasses Search!
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