My, my, my....

Oh goodness! 

As many of you know, I've been working on the elephant journal (yes, it's lower case) Spring Apprenticeship program. 

In the meantime, there've been other Big Doings. 

Thus, my poor, neglected blog.

Other Big Doings...

I bought a yoga studio. I'm now the proud (and scared) owner of Just Breathe Yoga Studio. Visit my website and if you're in the area, stop in for a class. Hubby designed the website for the former owner, my friend & teacher. I'm also on Facebook and will soon be on Twitter. 

It's exciting. Terrifying. 

And...not enough to keep me busy. So I'm still working on looking for a part-time job, and working on the voice-over stuff. That's proven to be a harder nut to crack. 

Not saying it's not profitable. It is. It's just that we're considered a "boutique" studio. We're not open "gym hours" but only when we have a class going on. So I'd like to supplement what I'm doing with a little more work. 

Napping Buddha

I have had a nice time working with some of the decor. The former owner did take some of her own things - which is cool. I added my own Buddha and put it next to the lovely orchid plant she gave me. 

elephant journal...

Come look for me as the Vestal Vegan. I've got a number of pieces up, and actually have one now in honor of Shakespeare's birthday. That one, as Kid #2 points out, was done in quick-time and he said, "Beware - now they know you can write on short notice."

Well, it doesn't always work that way. 

Weather...

So it's April. And we're having a freeze warning. Really. I couldn't make this up. So much for visiting the garden center and dreaming. Hard to do with gloves on. 

And the wind?? You'd think it was March. When the birdfeeders blow sideways in April, you've gotta wonder. 

We're planning a smaller garden and trying to decide what to plant for veggies. I think I'll stick with the usual herbs. I use them a lot and I enjoy them. 

Knitting...

Well, the socks are doing quite well. I've finished a pair I started in January. That Strong heel was nearly the death of me. Well, not really, but it was certainly frustrating. And I don't like the way it fits. 

I love the yarn. It's Opal (my go-to yarn for long-wearing socks with fun colorways). The color is Borneo Ricky. The Roman Rib pattern was very nice, but I wouldn't do it along the foot/instep again. It's annoying. But I love the way it runs with the stripe in this yarn. I'd do the pattern again, but on the leg only. 

Strangely, I feel like I've got a ton of it left. So eventually, there will be Monster Socks. Or Franken-Socks if you will. 

My next pair I pulled from the tote. You're not going to believe it: the yarn is Lorna's Laces, "Bigger on the Inside." So of course the pattern I chose was "Bowties are Cool." I'm a little scared about whether the bowties will actually show up. They do, sort of, but it's very subtle. 

Lorna's is soooooooo squishy. These are going to be a dream to wear. I can't wait to finish them. The pattern is on Ravelry, and it's easily memorized. I'm going to shoot for a 7" leg like usual. I'm using my size 1 Karbonz DPNs, and for some reason, this cuff seems long. 

I think it might be good, though. I'm not going to worry about it. I did a 4-row knit at the very top, as is my custom. That just helps with high arches - easier to get the foot into the sock. 

The heel is a simple flap heel. Next time I make a vanilla sock, I'll try a different heel. I think it'll be interesting - and it's a good way to learn skills. 

The bowtie pattern uses K1b - I've never done that before, and for a moment I freaked out but then I've discovered that it's much easier than I thought. It would look pretty on a larger yarn, with a brighter color so you could see the bowtie effect. 

The Dogs...

So Quinn had surgery recently. The sebaceous cysts had gotten bad. Seriously, she was scratching herself the other day and turned to look at me; I actually hollered at Hubby, "Grab a rag and get to Quinn!" She was bleeding that badly. They took 4 of them off and she's healing nicely. The 3 larger ones were on her neck, so she's "diapered." The harness? She's not jazzed, but we can't put a collar on her. She ended up in the Tube of Shame just once, and she's left the other incision at her hip alone, for the most part. Stitches come out Monday and I'm happy to see her back to normal. 

We're trying a Vitamin A supplement to see if that will keep them down. With sebaceous cysts (a subject upon which I know more than I wish), sometimes they appear and go away - appearing at the beginning of the dog's life. Sometimes they happen at the end. 

Quinn got the crappy end of the gene pool. Hers will likely be life-long. At some point, we'll just have to hope for the best, because after a certain time, she won't be able to have surgery. 

Tippi...


Is doing fine. Still working as a therapy dog. This is a new friend. He and I chatted for about an hour. He loves her. They all love her. I'm trying to figure out a way to work with the Health & Counseling Center on a permanent basis, but we'll have to see. Nothing happens quickly. Or easily.

She's still enjoying her work, so as long as she's happy, we'll keep doing it. Raisa is still stupid. In a husky-stupid kind of way. She's charming and friendly, but still rough around the edges. 

This young man actually taped Tippi telling a story. It was hilarious. 

The Estate...

Is almost settled. It's been what? Two years. Yeesh. People: PSA here -- leave your stuff in order. It keeps your relatives from wanting to dig you up and beat you with a shovel. 

So the final accounting has to go to the kids - and I'm in a position where I just want it done. I know I've done everything in order and have put in more work than I actually had to do. I could have just let the IRS have all his money - but we went back and filed returns and did all that stuff. 

So if someone wants to crab about it, all they're doing is lining the pockets of the attorney. Go for it. 

Random Picture...


You have to try this tea. It's really nice. The ginger is "pow" and the lemon is "zing." Without puckering your tonsils. I love it anytime - as an afternoon boost or at the end of the evening. They have a winner here. 

I'm a fan of good herbal teas. Right now, I've got a cup of honey vanilla chamomile next to me. After this, I'm back at the Bowties are Cool sock. I'll take some pictures of the leg and you can see if you can tell where the bowties are.