Hold My Beer...

As if doping in the Olympics wasn't enough? Vlad decides to take back Ukraine as if he actually owns it. And then has the blazing balls to say, "There will be trouble if they try to stop me." 

Looks like Vlad is getting the trouble... And also, my personal opinion is TFG needs to be OFF the airwaves. He needs to shut the pie hole and the press should be, I dunno -- over him? I know it's all clicks now. It's not even "if it bleeds, it leads," but "if the GQP says more outrageous crap, we get more clicks" rather than, perhaps noting that the jobs are up in January. And the pandemic, while not over, is getting to a point where the death counts aren't so high anymore. Though there's another variant, so we shall see if we get to have our masks off for a red hot minute before all the chickens come home to roost. 

I went to Ravelry (yeah, I know all the stuff about access and all that, and I should've done something different, but there you are). Sought out a Ukranian designer, picked 3 shawl patterns, and ordered them. I know it's not a ton of money; there are folks signing up for Air BnB in Ukraine, and donating that money to the owners of the houses. You have to pick houses owned by real people, not a real estate company or the like. And the owners of the homes are grateful -- and in many cases, can probably get the money to where it's needed quicker than my shawl pattern designer will get her money. Especially if the internet gets locked down. 

It's something. I've got an event coming at the studio which will raise funds for refugee organizations. 

I'm honestly glad to see that we're not using Russian oil and gas now. It was only a few percentages of our entire dependence on everyone else's oil, but it makes a point. 

Today, I gassed up my car and it was $4.29/gallon. I bet by tonight, it's closer to $5.00. But then again, we're not getting shelled, and we have intact homes and functioning hospitals. So. Complain about the gas prices at your peril. 

And no, Biden DIDN'T raise fuel prices. No president in the history of this country, no matter which party, can affect gas prices. It's a commodity. It rises and falls according to the market. And the market is susceptible to the whims of forces beyond a mere president. 

The Knitting...

Well, one down... I finished the blue striped socks. Last night. Wearing them today. I'm glad they're finished, even though for some reason, the toes don't quite match. But I'm fine with that, because the toes on my feet don't match...

They're on 64 stitches, and I should have done them larger. I have to find a sweet spot. 72 stitches is too large, even with my biker calves. And 64 is, let's say, a tad snug. 

At least now the toes mostly match, the foot length matches, and the heels not only MATCH, but are a decent length in the heel flap. I know most heel flaps are around 2.5" but I like mine a bit longer. I also pick up way too many stitches in the gusset, but that's ok. You can see how the edge of the heel is a bit longer, and the decreases are many. That also fits higher arches. So I just keep doing what I'm doing. 

That's the best thing about socks -- you can totally customize them. One of these pairs, I'm going to try an arch support at the underside. I'm going to go back to the Box in the Closet, and have Hubby pick another bag.

What's the "Box in the Closet?" you ask... Well. Many years ago (yeah, MANY), I set myself a challenge, which got sidetracked by baby knitting. The twins I was knitting for are now 8 years old. Ahem. 

Anyway. 

I put 12 brown paper bags into a tote. In those brown paper bags were 12 balls of sock yarn, one per bag. The idea was to knit a pair of socks a month. 

Normally, this is do-able if you buckle down a bit more than I was doing. Did you know that if you carry your socks around with you all the time, you generally get a lot more knitting done? Well, I wasn't doing that for a number of reasons, one of which was the knitting for said TWINS... 

I know I have several singletons, but I also have kind of a case of start-itis, brought on by a number of things, and I know that deadlines will be pressing upon me. But that being said, I'm looking forward to diving back in to the Box of Sox. 

Next up is my "secret project," which has had its deadline moved up a bit closer than I thought it would be! 

I am quite literally keeping this one hidden till it's done. It's a design I worked out myself, so I'm not sure how it's going to work. We shall see... But for now, I'm just going to beaver away at this and get it done, hopefully, by the deadline imposed upon me by circumstance. 

I'm also hoping to finish at least one more pair of socks, by making the mate, and maybe finish up the Copland shawl I started 2 years ago. Especially since the colorway is now, apparently, in fashion, being black and brown. The brown is hand-painted, and it's glorious. The black is also hand-painted so while it's black, there are layers of black, if you can imagine that. That shawl got set aside for Kid #2's afghan to finish. I'm not sure when I'll have more baby knitting to do. 

This will be my year to learn cables, too. I keep telling myself this. I keep procrastinating. This is the year. I'm going to do it. Honest. 

Gardening in General...

We're not quite sure what we're going to do for the veggie garden. I do want to plant sunflowers (not

solely because of Ukraine -- I've wanted sunflowers for a while now). At the local museum, they're selling native plant seeds, and I may pick some up to add to the wildflower garden in the front. 

I think our "old favorites" will return: radishes, romaine, carrots. Rosemary is a standard. I think I'd like to do celery this year. Last year, we got a taste of it, and -- much like carrots, it was good!

Inside, Hubby's orchids are going nuts. NUMBER SEVEN has bloomed. We seriously have SEVEN plants in bloom right now. We have nine total, and it looks like two will need re-potting, which means we have to figure out where to put two more plants. Our space is compact, to be kind. One more is budding, and ready to pop in a week or so. 

One of the cattleyas is blooming, the pink one with a scent. The one big phal is blooming and the other is the one ready to pop. And all the mini phals are in bloom. It's crazy. And beautiful. 

And we need that beauty right now. 

I have to remember what that little plant is behind this pink-and-white mini-phal. It's kind of like a succulent, and its purpose is to attract the little midgies which like to congregate around the orchids - like a Venus Fly Trap, it draws them in and ... eats them? Anyway, the flowers remind me somewhat of violets, and the greens are like hens-and-chicks but not as rigid. I had the paper that the orchid place gave me. I just don't know where I put it. 

Random Picture...

My studio is located in an old plaza and recently, we've had some pretty vile winds. The awnings over the suites were looking pretty care-worn, and two wind storms later? They were just trashed. Our landlord is very good at keeping the property up. He had all the awnings taken down and a week or two ago, they were returned, brand-new. 

He also put LED lights around the roof parapet, which is nice - the parking lot is well-lit anyway, but this adds more light. I teach night classes, and a little more brightness in the lot isn't going to be anything I'm going to complain about. 

Actually, we're talking about lighting at our house. A week ago, a neighbor's garage got tagged. We all realized that the area around 2 blocks was kind of dark. So we're all chatting, figuring out who has cameras, talking about whether we need to talk to the power company about the utility poles in the alleys, fixing lights atop them to light up where we park. 

I've lived here a long, long time. It feels weird to have this problem. 

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A Minute and a Half...

...till the brown rice is done. Lest you think I'm eating dinner at nearly 10 p.m. CST, ha -- I'm actually (dare I say it) GETTING AHEAD and making some brown rice for tomorrow's lunch. 

I've tried these bag thingies, and so far, everything has been ok. I mean, I can pronounce all the stuff in the bag and on the ingredient list, so there's that. And they take pretty much a minute. And I can fit them in my little dark blue Thermos for lunch. I usually try to follow the package directions to serve them with a starch, like a pasta, rice or quinoa. 

I'm not a huge fan of white rice. For one, arsenic -- and yeah, I do eat a LOT of rice. For another, I just prefer the "fullness" of the brown rice, and I do buy organic as much as I can. 

This packet is different from what I usually get. I really like the spinach dal, but I thought I'd try this. I've been trying to get more organized and get things prepared in the p.m. the night before. 

Since I'm part of the "part-time brigade" lately, I'm keeping lots of balls in the air. Which is cool. In a strange way, this has brought me more balance. I know I have to be somewhere at a certain time, and I can walk away. 

Anyway, I've got my bag ready, and will have my lunch mostly ready. All I have to do is heat the pouch up in the morning and put it on top of the microwaved rice and there you have it. 

Lunch.

Breakfast is a yogurt smoothie, or a protein shake. Meds and supplements are already in my purse. Newest copy of "The Sun" magazine is in the bag, knitting is next to my purse. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. 

Knitting...

Speaking of which... Not much to show you. One more point on the shawl, but nothing else happening. I'm still drooling over the various lace shawls, and still working on the Sole-to-Sole and the blue self-patterning one. I'm bringing the Sole-to-Sole to work, and trying to get a few rows on it here and there. I do have to buckle down and get that self-patterning one done. I mean, really - I'm close to finishing the gusset decrease - two rows or so. And then I can start on the foot. 

And I want to start some Christmas knitting. I know - not sure how all that's going to shake out, but I'm going to try for a couple of hats and perhaps another Close to You shawl, if I can move along on this one. I was buzzing like crazy, but then other stuff came up. 

I really should have been practicing tonight - I have O Sanctissima to learn to finger-pick, but again - tonight. Things took over. 

Anyway, I'm going to get back to the shawl in a few moments - at least to get half way through to the next point. 

I got the latest issue of Creative Knitting, and I'm intrigued by two pullovers and a pair of wristlets. But the remainder of the issue is consumed with "Cables on the Catwalk" and I've decided that you have to be the size of a toothpick to wear cables the size they've created in a few of those sweaters. 

Someone my size (and I'm not huge, but I'm not tiny)? I'd look like a lumpy package in a sweater that's entirely cabled. 

So. Will look again at one of the pullovers and see if I'm brave enough to do the asymmetrical front. It's a little scoop up at the front hem, and I'm not sure about it. I kind of like straight lines. Especially since I don't want to emphasize my stomach in the first place... 

Coloring...

I had to grab a couple of jump drives for some files I'm toting around. The one jump drive I was given was starting to read "corrupted" or "files need to be fixed" --both of which are a sure sign that the drive is about ready to crap out. So I transferred the files to my laptop (note to self: have Hubby back this thing up tomorrow!!), and got these cute little jump drives. 

Yes, they're meant to be colored on. So I did! One of them holds files related to some work I'm doing for my church, and the other holds stuff regarding my Young Living business. I thought they were cute. 

And I can certainly find them in the bottom of my bag! Speaking of which, I also bought two new backpacks. 

I got a bright pink one for Tippi's therapy stuff. I had a "diaper bag" kind of bag, but since she's rather taken with the idea that I should actually lift her robust self into my truck, the "diaper bag" slung over my shoulder is a bit awkward. Her color is pink, so this works. 

The other one replaces a large open tote I use for my music; and it's a dark periwinkle. Both are Jansport bags, both at 50% off (yes!!) and both should last for a good long while. 

Random Picture...

Well, thought a throw-back would be good. I've been too busy to get many pics taken lately, and it's been beastly hot. Fall has taken its time, and summer has decided on a last gasp. 

This is from Florida a few years ago, when my friend Alice and I attended a conference. I loved the bright pink and I couldn't resist. we see hibiscus here, but unless you've got a 3-season room or a closed-in porch, they don't last. 

I wonder how the resort is doing. Florida is struggling. 

But nothing like Puerto Rico. Hopefully the Dotard will get his act together, realize that PR is NOT in the ocean (Caribbean Sea, actually) and our government will stop trying to kill us all off or start World War 3 - and get those folks, you know - the American territory we have - some help. The help they desperately need. 

Stop tweeting and start presidenting.

Jam Time...

No, not "crunch time," but "jam time."

Hubby bought a BUNCH of strawberries. I mean, like 10 quarts of strawberries. We froze them with the intention of "sometime" making jam or using them over ice cream. Today, a beautiful day with a good breeze, we jammed...

He brought out the jars, the lids, the berries. And I dug up my Canning Bible - also known as the "Ball Blue Book of Canning" - and looked for my favorite recipe. Don't you love the "I eat local" apron? I needed it! 

The dogs got sequestered, the pots got filled and we got to work, at about 9-ish this morning. We finished about 3 p.m. We have 40 half-pints of strawberry jam and about 20 half-pints of a "berry blend." Because we had a little batch of the frozen strawberries left, I grabbed a bag of frozen "berry blend" that I had stashed for my smoothies. 

Wowza. Was that ever (in my humble opinion) a brainstorm! As you can see, the strawberries were pretty big. We couldn't really get them to mash down properly. But I don't care. 

I had a chance to try some Young Living Essential Oils - their "Vitality" line - and put a drop of Ginger Vitality in the strawberry jam. I usually put ginger in my strawberry jam, because I like that tiny kick - it cuts the sweetness. Young Living Essential Oils is the only company that differentiates, having its oils FDA-compliant for ingestion as well as topical use and diffusing. 


As you can see, I don't skim. Hubby and I talked about it, and every time I have skimmed my preserves, I've lost a lot of the good stuff. So we just call that top layer a "mousse" and live with it. It tastes fine. Put it on your muffin and go for it. 

What we did find was that with the "berry blend" it actually "moussed" less. 

For the berry-blend batch, I switched up the oils, again using the Vitality line, but in Orange this time. It brightened up the flavor. 

Oh, and new tip!!! I ran out of lemon juice. Thanks to The Google, I found that yes, indeed - you can use LIME juice. Which I had. It's a little more acidic, so it helps the pectin along, and it's a little milder in flavor, so you don't necessarily get that sense of "lemon" in the jam or preserves. And I like lime better anyway. 

Again - half-pint jars to the ready; I like the quilted ones. Not for any other reason except that they're pretty. They're all cooling now and we'll put labels on when they're finished - probably tomorrow night after work. 

So in the pic where Hubby's scraping out the pan, you'll be happy to know that I also tossed in the recycle bin a BUNCH of phone books. Remember those? Well, for some reason, we had a bunch that we hadn't yet tossed. Out they go. I'm reclaiming the "crap-catcher" desk area too. 

I was really happy to have the 5 day (Squeeeeeeeeeeee!) Memorial Day weekend off. We got a lot done, and it was nice to get organized, feel accomplished and spend some time not having to be anywhere for once. 

I taught, of course, and we all had a blast, but overall, it was nice to have a break from the day-to-day routine. 

Hubby and I are going to take an inventory of what we have in the basement in regard to what we've canned over the past few years. Stuff in "the pit of despair" migrated a bit and we have to put it all on one shelving unit. If we have to toss stuff, we will - I did have an incident with some apple butter where the seal failed... It happens. I can salvage the jars and rings. The lids get pitched. 

As long as the seals are good, we can keep the stuff and eat it. It's stored in a cool, dark place, so it's still good to consume. 

Knitting...

I've been catching up on my blog-reading. I also pulled out a WIP since my office is about 80% organized. Or at least I have the piles under control. I still have a lot of work to do, but it's getting there. 

So the WIP I pulled was the February Lady Sweater - from 2013. Go ahead, smile. But anyway, it's on my list of things I want to wear sometime soon. 

This is a beautiful yarn: Classic Yarns Silk Wool DK in "Geranium" - which is actually a lovely lilac color. It actually looks brighter in the picture; it's a "dusty" lilac in person. It's a 50% silk / 50% wool blend, which has great stitch definition and a soft, soft hand to it. It is, to my dismay, a tad slippery. I'd prefer bamboo needles, but the Addis were the only ones where I could hook an extra cable length to them. 

Here's the issue...well, here are the issues... I've been knitting baby stuff and socks for a long, long time. Those are small things. 

I picked up this WIP because my left thumb wasn't happy with the sock, and yes, I know - Second Sock Syndrome. I figure I can knit on the sock at work, because it's small and easy to memorize in terms of the simple pattern. 

This is Gull Lace once the yoke is done. And I'm not "winging" that one! And the issue is that at this point in the yoke, there are 296 stitches. 

Two Hundred Ninety Six. In DK weight. This ain't no sock, folks! That's a lot of stitches. I'm at the point where I think I can start the lace pattern, but I have to have Hubby help me "size" it. You have to drape the yoke on yourself and see if the underarm area "almost" meets under the arms. Even though I've got a very long cable on this, I still have to hold onto the one part, because of the slippery nature of the yarn, so that the stitches don't fall off one end. So I'm "winging" this enough to say "If one side is 'almost' there, then the other should be fine." I have to have him help me hold it and measure it. 

The one thing I don't like is there's no schematic. I would love that. But I can deal with it, I guess. I have no choice. I'll have to show you the buttons later; they're vintage that I got as a gift. 

Biking...

I have a sore rear end. We did another section of the Isle a la Cache trail - it actually goes from Romeoville up past Rt. 83. We got to Rt. 83 and I'd had it. Hey, only the second ride of the season and we did more than 16 miles. Not too bad. I did take some pics, and I have to go through them. Here's one that Hubby took of me. I have to find its corollary - I have a picture of me in basically this same outfit, 30 pounds ago. 

We figure we can work on this trail for a while. It's also part of the Centennial Trail and then hooks into the CalSag Trail. My aim is to get back to our longer rides. I find that the combo of riding and yoga are ideal for me. I find the riding meditative too. 

Not only the cadence thing (I'm getting the hang of it) - which means the pace at which your legs move while pedaling, but the trail itself. I used to try to keep up with Hubby - which is insane. He's more fit than I am and frankly,  he likes fast rides. I want to look around. 

I used to get mad. Really, I'd get peeved because I thought that maybe it's a nice thing to just talk while riding and spend time together. But we have different ideas of what a ride is supposed to be - and that's not a bad thing. It's perspective. 

Mine is this: My ride is my ride. His ride is his ride. At first, he wanted me to keep up with him, but physically - before the heart procedure especially - I couldn't do it. I just didn't have the hang of the gears (I have a 21-speed older Trek bike) and the cadence? Wasn't happening. My heart wasn't in the right shape, even though I was on medication. 

After the procedure, I was ok, but I still don't like whizzing by stuff. One thing our county and our state have done right: we have some remarkable bike trails. They're paved; they're mixed-use; they're well-maintained. Some are by the canals and some are by the rivers. 

This particular trail is between the canal and the river. We pass a shipyard, we pass through some areas of denser forest preserve, and we pass through some areas that are more open. This trail also utilizes some of the old bridges, and we see everything - deer, chipmunks, squirrels, and all kinds of birds, both flying and waterfowl, and of course reptiles and amphibians, including turtles sunning on the partially submerged logs and the odd snake in the middle of the path. The vegetation ranges from ash trees, oaks, vines, honeysuckle and those blasted cottonwoods. Seriously, whoever introduced the cottonwood to this country? Shoot 'em. We were chewing cottonwood fluff, when we weren't breathing it or having the fluffies poke us in the eyeballs. With glasses. Both of us were noticing our allergies kicking into high gear. 


As a matter of fact, on this 16.9 mile ride, we saw two - TWO - indigo buntings! We routinely see Great Blue Herons, and this time, we also saw a couple of Black Cormorants land in the river to feed. 

The trail is part sun and part shade, so it's always changing and always fun to ride. And - very few challenging hills! At least for now, that's what I want! I can wait to build strength a bit and then we can tackle the more strenuous trails. 

So you're likely to see more pictures, as I can snap them. I suppose one day I'll bring the "real" camera. I like my phone camera, but this trail is quite diverse, and there are some places where the phone camera just can't get to. For example, there are some gorgeous lilies in the swampy areas, but I can't get the zoom in close enough without it pixelating. 

Random Picture...

So Hubby got me a beautiful pendant for Mother's Day & our anniversary: a London Blue Topaz in a striking teal color. Today, while waiting for the jam to cool down, this pulled up next door... 

I'd wear this car! It's not the original color, but the restoration was amazing. It's a 1957, I think, but I didn't go out. My neighbor seemed to be in deep discussion, so I didn't want to bother him. 

They're getting the house ready to sell, and my mother has expressed interest in it. Not sure I want my mom next door, but I did tell her that I'd rather have her there than in my house. 

It's nothing personal...she feels the same way. But next door would help her. Might drive me nuts, and definitely would increase Hubby's workload... This will require further discussion and rules. And boundaries. Lots of boundaries. 

A Radical Act of Compassion...

...maybe.

Or maybe a Radical Act of Self-Realization. 

I was doing some puttering around and came across 4 notebooks. And it hit me with the force of a physical blow. 

These notebooks chronicle my long, long, LONG fight with my body. Otherwise known as "My Attempts to Lose (and keep off) Weight." I've done it all. Weight Watchers, Adkins, Cabbage Soup, No-Carb, Lo-Carb, Sugar Detox, Metabolism B (which worked a treat, except I ate no fruit for an entire year and got "derailed" by eating a banana...)... 

I've exercised. I've had pedometers. I now wear a Jawbone Up! fitness band. 

4 notebooks

And I diaried each thing. Each step. Each workout. Each bite of food I put in my mouth. What hit me were the days where I put little "frowny faces" on the entries. 

Look, I'm not aiming to get to where I was pre-kids. I'm not an idiot. I need to be healthier, but more and more, it feels like I'm losing that battle. 

I am looking 60 in the face soon. I have heart issues. My family has a history of awful cholesterol numbers. I had gestational diabetes with Kid #2. My younger brother is already on cholesterol meds and my sister has a slew of conditions including IBS among other things. 

My brother is the one encouraging me to try (yet again) - Whole30 this time. Which, normally, is nearly how I eat anyway. The holidays have caused me to not only "fall" off the wagon, but leap. I eat when I'm stressed. 

I sit here, staring at those notebooks. Wondering. Trying to discern the message they're obviously sending me. 

Strangely enough, I got 3 different journals for Christmas this year. What's the message there, do you think? 

I'm not whining. Realistically (since I know this vessel in which I live and I know its capabilities and restrictions), I need to lose about 20 lbs. I need to exercise more. I need to do a lot of things...and life gets in the way of the plans I have for myself. 

It could be a lot worse (which, I'm told, is self-defeating - not acknowledging the reality of MY reality). I need to do something, and what I'm thinking about is fairly radical: I'm thinking of burning the notebooks. 

Well, I don't want to waste the unused paper, so tearing out the pages relating to weight/exercise/eating. And burning those pages. Starting 2017 off with the realization that "I" am not my "body" but that I do need to take better care of that body if I want it to continue to serve me. 

It's windy today and we don't have a fire pit, chiminea, or burn barrel. So maybe tomorrow is Burning Day. Thich Nhat Hahn says: "If we face our unpleasant feelings with care, affection, and nonviolence, we can transform them into the kind of energy that is healthy and has the capacity to nourish us." 

So it's time to look up Burning Rituals and get my stuff in order. Maybe that's a way to get 2017 in order. 

Knitting...

Pumpkin Layette

Baby Knitting 2016 is DONE. It's all complete, I even bought the bag and card and wrapped it up ahead of time. And I put the gift where I know I'll find it... Don't laugh - you've probably done the same thing. And if you haven't? You will at some point. 

Goals for 2017 include finishing a few WIPs. So last night, I began working again on the Shape-It Scarf. I have about 1" to go on the "wings." The challenge here will be how to block it, because it's going to be rather large. I need floor space. I have the blocking wires (yay! gift to self!) and the foam lock-together tiles. I just have to figure out where to put it away from the dogs. 

I've posted a few of the pictures on Instagram, and it's been a learning curve to figure out what's going on with that program. I feel like a dunce, but I'll get the hang of it eventually. 

As you may recall, the Shape-it Scarf is a take-off on a Sally Melville design. The lady at the Wool & Co. store (before it changed owners) suggested the "cobweb" yarn that I'm using, which is baby alpaca lace. 

I will have a literal half-ball of this stuff left over. It's over 800 yards. So my next task will be "what to do with the rest of it??" There are a few little shawlettes on Ravelry that I think I can wing out of this. Even a teeny little ascot would be cute. 

I think I can get this done by the end of this holiday period. Then I'll start to finish the mates to the singleton socks. And then I'll work on more socks. Dig out the February Lady Sweater. Root through the closet and see what I've got stashed. 

Kid #1 brought me yarn and a pattern with cables. That's on the list. Not sure how that'll work - my experience with cables is approximately --- well. None. But how hard can it be? I'm told it's a piece of cake, so we'll see how true that is. 

Essential Oils...

Last night, I achieved, with the help of two team members, a new rank in Young Living. It looks like this is going to be the year for this business to expand. So I'm doing some "envisioning" and using the YL "Envision" blend, which is really quite lovely. 

I sell these through the studio, and I can ship anywhere. So if you'd like to learn more about essential oils and how they can enhance your life, let me know. 

And that's the extent of my "sales pitch." I can't sell ice to a person in the desert. But skeptic that I am, I'm telling you - I really do enjoy using the essential oils. I like knowing that this company uses sustainable sources. I like knowing that, with their "Seed to Seal" process, everything is 100% therapeutic grade, and not mixed with fillers or other oils. 

I used other oils before. I love blending them for sprays in my yoga classes. So I was re-mixing a spray which had Rose essential oil. I grabbed the bottles that I used last time, and opened up the Rose. Wheeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwww! Unbeknownst to me, the Rose wasn't really "rose." It was only 5% rose. Five. Percent. The rest was grapeseed oil. Which turned rancid. 

It was nasty. Tossed the whole thing in the trash. Young Living's Rose oil is 100% rose. One hundred percent. 

It's that kind of quality that I appreciate, and enjoy bringing to my students. Like I said, if you're interested, check here, then send me a message. I'll be happy to help. Do your own research. I'm not going to twist anyone's arm. Quality is as quality does. 

Tippi...

I'm so pretty!

Tippi is a goofball. She "dressed" for the occasion of both New Year's Eve and today, her putative birthdate - and "gotcha" date. Last night, she sat with me while I sat up watching the Twilight Zone marathon and waiting for the inevitable fireworks/noise/hoopla that brought in the new year. Quinn headed for her crate early. 

I diffused Peace & Calming oil and rubbed a bit of Lavender on each of their heads. Not Raisa, though - she wants nothing to do with essential oils, and scorns the elkhounds' fear of the noise. She was just more or less satisfied with settling in to sleep it all away...

So Tippi also did her "Norwegian Couch-hound" impersonation... She doesn't get up on the couch a lot. She did as a younger dog, but lately, she only goes up once in a while. She prefers to lay alongside my knitting chair, since it's MUCH more convenient for her to beg a belly rub from me. 

Norwegian Couch-Hound

Last night, though, in a break from knitting and TV-watching, I got her up there and was able to at least brush half of her. She loves being brushed - no worries there - but was comfy, so I didn't flip her over. 

I ended up going to bed about 11:30 or so...I probably should've just stayed up since the usual woofing, snorting and barking ensued at midnight. But I was tired. 

Woke up today at the usual time, and for a Sunday, remarkably, decided to not go to Mass. Kid #1 and I will go to lunch, probably try to visit my mom (unless she's somewhere else...) and then come back here. I've cleaned off my "junk table" and put away many of the Christmas gifts, so it's one of those days to just check stuff off my list. I did some stuff for the yoga studio, prepared "New Years" cards (for those late-arrival Christmas greetings), and renewed a few magazine subscriptions. 

Work is done for a bit.

Random Picture...

From today's comics section in the local paper. Ready or not - we're in for an interesting 2017. 

I'm not sure what it'll bring. I'm hoping for peace and a sense of safety. I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure about much. But all I can do is go forward. My friend Joan (who gave me the three journals) gave me a mug (Hubby loved that - not)... It says, "Don't look back. You're not going in that direction."

May all of us face forward, square our shoulders and move on. We're maybe not sure where we're moving on TO, but moving forward is our greatest strength. We shouldn't forget...we should move in a positive direction. 

It's Pretty Pathetic When...

... I have to practice putting on make-up. Well, not even make-up, but tinted moisturizer. 

It's this way - there's an event coming up and I really should wear make-up. I don't. I have a good moisturizer and some nice lip balm. Otherwise, nothing. 

I even went so far as to order a new outfit, and I'm hoping it comes to the house in time!

That being said, makeup makes me feel claustrophobic. Even sunscreen on my face can cause me to feel as if my skin is "closed off" and I can't breathe. So I'm very careful with what I put on my skin and use on my face. 

I hate it. I'm ready to go scrub my face off... The things we do...

On the Bandwagon...

Finally, I got on the "fitness band" bandwagon. But I didn't want a FitBit or that big clunky thing that Hubby is always playing with. I didn't want email, a watch, texting, etc. I just wanted something easier to wear than a pedometer (I don't always have pockets) and a little more accurate. And I wanted to torture myself with confirmation that I don't always sleep as well as I ought to. 

So I ended up with an UP fitness bracelet by Jawbone. I really like its discrete look. It's extremely simple. You don't have any flashing lights, or screen to read, or anything like that. It syncs with my Android phone and I think the only thing I have to complain about is that I'm not sure whether it'll work when I'm biking. 

When I said to Hubby, "Well the FitBit commercials show these folks riding bikes and jogging with strollers," he just said, "don't believe everything..." because apparently, you can "cheat the system" by moving your arms. 

I've been told that I walk "with my whole body." I think it's a polite way to say that I waddle a bit. I would think that any fitness bracelet would take that into account. We shall see. 

And I'm starting back on a sugar detox. I've really JUMPED off the wagon on that. Kid #2 and I are headed back to Oxford this summer, and THIS year, I want to be fitter. I was having a hard time last year, and he and I both want to go into the caverns. I couldn't do much walking last year, and this year, I want to be able to do more. 

My plan is to take the steps at work, working up to doing all 5 flights daily. Also picking up on my yoga practice. Of course, I have no idea how to make all this fit into an already packed schedule. But that's a minor detail.

So I'm good to go. Now I just have to -- GO!

Knitting...

One sock down, 2nd sock in progress. I don't remember if I posted this. This is one squishy sock. I'm anxious to get its mate done. I did this one in 3 weeks. I'm hoping for a quick second sock. 

Then it's back to the baby sweater for a bit. I'm told "it's a boy" which is cool. The black and white will be sharp for a little boy!

Next will be the solid purple sock yarn. I think I may do a pattern with the yarn the kids got me for Christmas.

I did get my order from Craftsy. I have a couple of shawls and a hat to do, but I have to figure out how to go back and download the patterns. I bought the "kit" but I don't think I downloaded the patterns. 

While I'm still participating in the "Knit from Stash KAL" I'm going to be realistic. I'm not one who wants to knit only socks. I want to work through stash for other projects. I want to stash some baby sweaters + hats. There are some fingerless mitts I want to do, and a couple of scarves, believe it or not. 

And I have the pure wool to do a felted cloche for next winter. I figure that if I can find an awesome vintage pin, I can use that along the side. It'll be a "church hat" if I can get it right. 

I love felting. I think it's an absolutely fantastic technique. I have a couple of bags that I want to do, and at least one hat, maybe more. 

Inevitability...

Isn't so inevitable. I'm not happy with the shenanigans of the DNC. I think we should have more debates with our candidates. And I'd really like to hear more from O'Malley and Bernie. I don't like Hillary 24/7. 


I don't like coronations here in the US. And I don't like that the DNC apparently feels like they can tell us who our candidate is. I get politics + money = "the way things are done" but we can't have that both ways, either. We can call for a revolution, or we can just roll over and play dead to the corporate overlords who've bought and paid for our political system. 

But don't bemoan "low voter interest" when you've already mandated who our candidate is. You did that to us. And I don't like it. 

One other totally unrealistic and unrealizable ambition? To have a "real" debate. I mean, seriously. Dispense with the advance notice of the questions. Give the candidates a vague idea of what they'll be debating. Then ask the questions and let them think on their feet. 

None of this pre-determined, studied talking-points crap. A good, honest "let's see what you know" debate. Sure, Hillary will probably be better-versed on international issues. But I can't imagine that O'Malley and Bernie will be slouches. 

God knows it's got to be better than the last pile of toddlers on the Fox stage calling each other names. 

Random Picture...

Last night's sunset. As my friends and I celebrated a late birthday dinner, I caught this on the way in. It doesn't really do the colors justice, but the rosiness just made me feel better after a long and crappy week. 

Knitting Lace, Quinn and Quinn...

No, the title's not a typo. You'll see.

So I did frog the Lettuce scarf. First off, I think there's an error in the pattern, which will frustrate me. Second, the scarf is BEAUTIFUL. In a variegated or hand-painted yarn. I think in a solid, it'll be just blah. Not blah as in ugly, but more, "Ok. Nice." Just not "Wow, you MADE this for ME??" kind of knitting. 

Chandelier Lace Scarf

To that end, I started the Chandelier Lace in the Cascade Heritage Silk, which is 85% merino superwash and 15% Mulberry silk. I purchased the yarn at Le Mouton Rouge, a very adorable LYS in Morris, IL. A little farther than I'd like to drive, but I am currently "out of like" with my more local LYS for a couple of reasons. 

Lovely, lovely, lovely yarn to work with so far. That hint of silk is what's going to transform this project. Here's what it looks like so far. Not much, but it's a super-easy pattern to memorize, at least row-by-row. It's a 26-row repeat, but not really. What I mean is, the pattern total is 26 rows, but you are actually repeating rows 1 - 9 after row 10. 

There's a new variety of stitch here. It's called S2KP. Let me explain - or let Vogue explain: Slip 2 sts tog, K1, pass 2 sl sts over. It's kind of like what I've done before, but not slipping 2 stitches together. We'll see. Can't be all that hard.

I switched from Addi Turbo aluminum to bamboo. I really should use lace needles, which I don't have. The only gripe I have is that this yarn has the potential to split easily, if you're not paying attention. Sharper points would help, but the only thing I have in really sharp points is a set of DPNs and this is a flat project. Anyway, the longest DPNs I have are only 7" and this scarf is at least 8 - 9" wide. 

The picture, of course, doesn't do it justice, because the yarn is just a lovely color. Even with the crappy-camera on my phone. I think when I take a progress picture, it'll show up better. More fabric will equal a better picture.


Today is sooooooooo humid!! It's humid when, in a building where you can't open windows, and the A/C is working, you still have condensation on your water cooler bottle. Yuck. But for some reason, I'm chilled, so I don't necessarily want to turn on the fan. Though I probably will, just to move some air around. 

New project, new bag. Well, not "new" -- one I got when I purchased some dog things at Fun Time Dog Shop. Fun Time is an online store where 100% of the profits goes to rescue groups. They have a list of partners and at checkout, you can pick where you'd like your profit portion to go. They were giving the bags away as a promotional and I was lucky enough to be sent a lilac one. So you can click here to check them out. They source as many products as they can from the USA; they test all their products. They take input from their customers. I'm just tickled to be able to have a nice place to get good stuff for my dogs. The treats, leashes, puzzles and other items have all been first-rate. And it's good to support rescue. 

The bag is plain and nothing special other than a great way for me to spread the word about a female-owned small business that does wonderful work. In fact, to use this as a knitting bag, I have to use point-protectors because sharp enough needles will puncture it! 

Quinn ready for her nap

So, you're wondering: Quinn and Quinn?? Well, I realized that I hadn't posted a picture of Tippi's daughter, Quinn. In a while, or ever... Here she is, being a goofball on the couch. She gets up there and paces back and forth trying to figure out her most favorite spot. Then she nests. Usually upside-down. And twisted. On you or right next to you, if you happen to be there and she needs a pillow. Or between me and Hubby. Always. Always - even sitting there staring a hole in us till one of us moves slightly, then she jumps up and jams herself in  between us. We always wonder who'll get the butt-end. It's usually an even split. She's fair in that regard. 

We're worried about her this 4th of July. She doesn't like fireworks or t-storms. The doc has suggested melatonin (3 mg) - taking 6 mg twice a day. We'll get it into her system and see how she does. We can layer a Benadryl on top of that, but we have a 50/5o chance that the Benadryl will either mellow her out or cause her to be more hyper. More hyper, we don't need. She already has a Thundershirt, which only worked a couple of times. We have a cave for her; she goes into our bathroom. I have ordered an Anxiety Wrap which is supposed to be more focused on accupressure points and covers a little more of the dog's area. There's also an Ace bandage wrap technique that's a figure-8 that is supposed to work. 

This is all to keep her from freaking out and potentially hurting herself. I hate 4th of July. 

The other Quinn is our beloved (?) governor here in IL. He's rewritten our newly crafted concealed carry law. Now, you all know that the only thing I think Illinois did right was to have a law against concealed carry. Well, the NRA fixed that. They bought a couple of politicians, like they've been doing nationwide, and we now have a "compromise" bill. I'll admit it's restrictive. But he wanted stuff like magazine capacities and the limit on only carrying one gun. And obviously, the Powers that Be (which aren't him, apparently) say that they'll veto his veto. Gotta love government that works. Trouble is that lately, we wouldn't recognize government that works because nobody's government seems to work at all. 

I mean seriously... you really WANT to carry ALL your guns? Let's just ask for trouble, eh? And carrying guns where alcohol is sold? Yeah, that's just a totally cool thing. No problems there, right? I don't like the idea of concealed or open carry. I don't think - and a number of cops agree with me, because I asked them - that the average citizen needs to carry a gun. And large capacity magazines are idiotic. If you want to beat me over the head with the Second Amendment, let's parse that.

I believe they say something about a "well-regulated" militia... And that's only for starters. You want to go all Founders on me? Ok. Have your weapon. The average Colonist had one gun. One. Usually a rifle. Usually a lead ball and gunpowder. And he made his own bullets. 

Fine. You can have that kind of gun. Not an automatic weapon with a 30-round clip. Go for it.  Otherwise, please -- if  you feel like it's that dangerous to go out, then stay in. Your "right" to arm yourself infringes totally on my right to not be your collateral damage. 

Anyway, those are the Quinns we were talking about. I'm in one of those "I don't want to be here" moods and I think I'll just knit a few rows on the scarf to take my mind away from here. No yoga class tonight; we cancelled it because 9 times out of 10, right before a holiday, nobody shows up. So save some gas and aggravation, right?

Maybe a walk when I get home, if it's not raining. Have a safe 4th of July! Quiet, too, if you're lucky.