Sort of Started...

...another KAL - this one for striped socks. So I have my favorite Opal yarn, another in the Little Prince colorway. And I have my favorite needles. Color is 7767 and dye lot is 822. Let's just say it's festive and bright, and it'll be very pretty. 


And I figured I'd start out with something different, because while I love a plain sock, that's what my last several have been. So I checked out the Vanilla Latte pattern on Ravelry. So you can't get to Ravelry from here, unless you're a member. 

Vanilla Latte Sock

Therefore, here's a picture of what a Vanilla Latte sock looks like. Actually, the sock pattern is more of a "recipe" - you have your choice of cast on, ribbing, size (circumference) and heel. All with suggestions, but then basic construction elements.

I thought, "I'd like to shake this latte up a bit." So I cast on 72 stitches. I know - seems huge. But since Fluro was that size and it fits well, I figured I'd give this a go. Got my usual 6 rows of knitting knocked out and read in the directions, the following:

"If you want a bit more caffeine, knit through the back loops of the knit stitches for a twisted rib."

How hard can that be, right? Well, THIS is now what my Vanilla Latte looks like. First off, I started the rib on Needle 4. And yeah, at that point, I could have just moved the stitch marker, right? Well, that might have caused the earth to tip on its axis. So I thought, "Well how hard can that be? I'll just have one extra row of ribbing." 

Frogged....

Ha. 

Ha again. Somehow, I don't know how -- I ended up ENDING one needle with the K stitches and the next one would have STARTED with the K stitches. That, my knitterly (and non-knitterly) readers, is NOT how ribbing goes. And on top of that, the K through back loop looked weird. So..... THIS --> is what my sock now looks like. 

Yeppers... Frogged. I'm going to let the yarn rest a bit and start again. I'm not all peeved at the screw-up. Screw-ups happen, especially in knitting. I'm not even annoyed that the KAL is from 9/1 - 10/1 -- I have baby knitting due in November. Coincidentally the month the BABY is due. So if I make the KAL, I make it. If I don't? Well, either way, I have socks. And I love socks as a take-along project. It's probably a good idea, given the size of my sock-yarn stash, that I always have a pair on the needles. That or hats...

But let me explain my "oh well" attitude...

Bleeding socks

It's like the Fluro socks. See the bucket here? This is AFTER a 10-minute vinegar+ water soak, a microwaving and steaming to supposedly set the hot pink. After that, you can wash them, but suggestions are made that you should use baby shampoo. 

So, not having babies, I went to the now smoke-less CVS (see below) and purchased a couple of bottles of Burt's Bees baby shampoo. I had forgotten how much I loved the smell!! Anyway, the bucket holds lukewarm water plus the shampoo and socks. 

And look at all the pink. I'm told by a couple of folks who dye yarn, that "eventually" the hot pink won't bleed. But you know what? I'm not really upset about that, either. 

They're socks, people. The most disposable of all knitting projects. I don't have a photo of the "bleeding socks" but I may take one. It's not a huge deal to me. I will know now that I have to vinegar wash all the Fluro colors, and maybe if I did a pattern on the leg and foot, it would have "hidden" the bleeding. 

I would have been more upset had it been a sweater or even a scarf. I can always wear shoes.

Baby Deadline...

So, speaking of the baby deadline, look at the CUTEST sock you'll ever lay eyes on. It's done. Well, the "bootie" part of the layette is 50% completed. 

I will tell you that the cotton, on size 6 needles, is a stinker. The first picture here is while working on the heel flap. You have to tug and tug to get it nice and flat. But then you wonder if you've "overstretched" it. And then you remember (because your hands are now cramping up) that it's COTTON. No worries about stretching, because it doesn't stretch. 

So the KAL mentioned above is an excuse to change up from the unforgiving cotton. And yeah, Fr. Matt will have to bless this thing... 

I'm so sorry, Susan. I'm trying to impart good vibes as I knit this for your baby!! 

Anyway, the bootie took me TWO days. Period. Wowza. Of course, Hubby was kind enough to give me a nice hand massage - that left one (see the death grip on the needle??) really was hurting. 

Turning the heel was a cinch. Just 4 rounds. And the gusset was a piece of cake as well. You can see my notebook - that's the one that I'm committed to only using for baby stuff. That way, I won't be plundering other notebooks for info. 

So since this was a relative breeze, I figure I can just whip the second one out in a few days, then move on to the hat. Then the cardigan. 

And I'm still whirling away on the blanket, too. Fingers (and needles) crossed - this should all be done by the time the little one arrives. 

At first, I thought the cuff was "awfully long" - but upon completion, it looks squishy-adorable when it's cuffed down. And I'm just imagining a chubby baby's little toes in there. 

Now watch. She'll birth a linebacker!

CVS Now Smokeless...

Read it here. Or watch it... CVS is the #2 drugstore in the US. And it just went smokeless. As in: we are not selling tobacco, tobacco products, smokeless tobacco - nothing. 

And in a shameless plug, it's also changing its name to CVS Health. And I'm ok with that. 

I don't smoke, but my dad did. So does my sister. And my mom - who never smoked a day in her life - has emphysema. 

So. I'm actually tickled to see how this will play out. 

Don't Forget...

...when you make a green smoothie and forget it in your office fridge?? Well. Not nice. 

Smelly, explosive, and if it wasn't a good Mason jar, I'd have tossed it. Anyway, I managed to not spew smelly green stuff all over the office kitchen. But not by much! 

So. Write notes! Green smoothies are really, REALLY nasty when they're fermented. 

Just a word to the wise. 

Random Picture...

Wonder who's hoarding all the bones.

Hoarding

Well, you shouldn't. It's Raisa, the bone-hog. She sneaks up and takes them and hoards them. Well, she tried when Tippi was chewing one and in true bone-head husky fashion, she was ignoring the basso profundo growling. I probably should have let Tippi teach her a lesson, but I stopped it in their tracks and shooed Raisa away. 

Till Tippi got tired of it and left it. 

For the Bone Hoarder... 

Apparently Farther Than I Thought...

Hmmmmmmm.... I just grabbed Teal Sock #2. It appears that I'm ready for the heel flap. Of course, this is the sock where I'm not exactly sure what I did on Heel #1, so we'll have to see how this all turns out. They may very well be boot socks or I'll start a fashion trend of mismatched heels.

Knitting...

Little Prince KAL socks

The KAL socks are DONE! Boom!! Done, done and DONE!! Of course the question is, do you like your stripes matchy-matchy or do you let the yarn do what it does? So far, with these Opal socks, I haven't bothered to match them. While I have a ton of yarn leftover, I certainly COULD have matched them, but honestly - I think they're kinda cool the way they are!!

These will show up in church one of these days. I've got my Robin's Nest MadTosh socks on today with the Birks. 

Don't laugh. You produce something with around 34,000 stitches of knitting and some awesome engineering to make it look like something wearable, and you're darned tootin' gonna show 'em off too!! 

Besides, it's cold in here. 

So I can check off another thing on the list. Yay, me!!!

Lefties

Once I get the Teal Sock done, I can concentrate on the other things: finishing the baby sweater, my February Lady Sweater, the cross-stitch. It'll all get done, and I feel like there's a process now. 

Now the question is what to do with a LOT of leftover yarn. I'm serious - this is even with a PAIR that have 7" legs. I guess it's good - if I was to knit a pair for either Hubby or one of the Kids, the legs would be much longer, and so would the feet. 

Recall, if you will, that I have a lot of the pink leftover as well. That's a variegated, rather than a self-patterning yarn. And those legs were about 5" tall. I think 7", while it's a long, boring knit, is a good length for me. It also bridges the "scary legs" thing with slacks. I have yet to deal with knee-high length, but I do have lots of Opal in The Stash. That might not be a bad idea. 

I'm thinking. And I welcome suggestions. 



Knitting Dilemma...

So. Good news!! Kid #2 got a job!!! Now, what do I do with the partially finished knitted tie in his OLD school's colors?? The new school's colors are gold and black. The old school's colors were green and gold. And the tie was green. Well, it IS green, because it's not done yet. 

I guess it's sort of a moot point till I find the directions. They got separated from the project bag, and I don't remember how to do the linen stitch. I could look that up, but this pattern tapered and I can't find the regular directions. 

He won't mind. But I hate to have a quickie project like that just sitting there. 

Bad news...

So Thursday, my rhythm was "off." All day. Not as bad as it had been. I mean, I was thinking to myself, "Self, your heart is racing. You feel off. You've taken EKGs and the heart rate is pretty high. But you're not dizzy. You're still talking and walking around. You took your meds. You haven't passed out. So just hang in there."

I got done with work, e-mailed the strips to the cardiologist (thank you AliveCor device!!!) and then my sister called that night with the bad news. 

Well, maybe it's bad, maybe it's just as well. I have to have the heart procedure. They want to do it in July, which is ok, but if I can get in earlier, I'd like to explore that option. What with the trip to FL at the end of the month, though, they may not want to do it in June. Maybe EARLY in July would be nice??

I'm scared. But I know it'll be better to get it over with. Overnight stay in the hospital (yeah, will probably bring knitting even if I'll be zonked) and then 3 to 4 days rest at home. What troubles me is the "several weeks of light activity." BLEAGH!! I just got back into "activity" for cryin' out loud!!! 

Ok. I know. Listen to the doctors and suck it up. I will. I promise. But that's why I'd like to do this earlier in July. Otherwise, it messes with an already established schedule I've got that's pretty much set in stone. 

I would ask if it could get even more confusing, but I don't want to give Karma a chance...

The Office...

I've begun the inventory of assets -not the electronic stuff. That's not my department. But a log of what's going to be finding another home. I've asked my colleagues who wants to adopt the plants (with the intent that they'd leave here before it got cold - not right now, because I don't want the place looking naked). I tallied all MY stuff (I had brought in some furnishings and pictures that are mine) and today at work, I emptied out some of the drawers. As the class leaves, I'll pull the truck up and load it all in there. 

I'm sad. It's depressing. But it's better to do it bit-by-bit instead of all at once. Especially since I have already applied for another position, and I know it's going to be like a "garage sale" here shortly. I want to make sure MY OWN stuff doesn't get lost in the shuffle. 

The official announcement goes out Monday, now. Not looking forward to phone calls and e-mails. Because what I would like to say is not conducive for future job prospects. But even if I did say whatever I wanted, I do believe people are going to put their own spin on stuff anyhow. 

Philosophy...

I have many philosophies. Some are good. Some are only situational and subject to change. But I saw this on "The FaceSpace" as we call it at home, and lately, this is starting to resonate with me. 

It's tough to think about "starting over" with a job at my age. It's too early for me to retire, even if we could afford it. 

We're by no means broke, and we actually have our house paid for. But in spite of the days where I feel like I really, really, REALLY want to retire, I know it would not only not be a good idea financially, but emotionally as well. And with our nest nearly empty, we want to do thing that we aren't able to do now. Well, with 3 dogs, it's likely it won't be whisking ourselves away to a cozy B & B for the weekend, but it's kind of nice to not have to consider what to do with or for the kids. Yes, Kid #2 is old enough to make his own dinner, but while he's still here, I don't feel right treating him as if he doesn't exist. 

Anyway. What I've been thinking about is the whole concept of "enough." Am I "thin enough" (no, and I don't mean that out of vanity); am I "smart enough" (well, probably); am I "happy enough" (no, not lately and not for a while). Setting aside the facile arguments of how women need to be "enough" of everything, and in the trying often lose the basic element of who they truly are (Sorry Oprah, it's not working. The chai thing was the topper.), I have to take an honest look at myself at this pivotal point. 

So the job situation might be a good one. Taking stock of yourself and your direction are beneficial habits. I think you can over-think that and thus become moribund, but a periodic check-in with the inside of your head and your heart might not be a bad thing. 

Anyway, this is what I told Boss Lady when I informed her that I'd applied for another position and she said, "But do you want to do that?" Well, I said, NO. I want to do what I'm doing, but that option is clearly off the table right now, and I doubt it'll be coming back. Can I do it? Without a doubt. If I'm lucky enough to be interviewed and offered the job, I'll be happy. Women my age with my qualifications don't get a lot of opportunities, and I'm not in the mood to start over again. 

So it's Inventory Time in more ways than just counting how many clocks we have, how many desks, chairs, paper plates, markers and the rest. It's time for me to take an inventory of what I want and how to best accomplish it. And include the "deserve" part. So maybe when people compliment me, I can figure that they're "not just saying that" - that they see value in what I have done over the past 8 years. When people ask what I am going to do, sure - there will be a certain amount of prurient interest, but by and large, I deserve to think it's because they care. 

It's going to be an exercise, that's for sure.

Random Picture...

Yes. These are cookies. No. They are neither home-made nor on my immediate eating plan. 

Brownie Cookies

It's been a stressful week. I've worked the equivalent of 2 weeks in a 6-day span. I'm tired. I'm a bit more tightly wound than I usually am.

And I'm eating the stinkin' cookies. With any luck, the weather will hold out and my heart won't go crazy - maybe I can get a bike ride in either today or tomorrow. Or yoga. 

I do have to start reaching for yoga instead of cookies. Or more knitting. Either one would be more helpful, and at least with yoga, I can get up off my chair.

I haven't figured out how to knit and be mobile without the very strong potential of terrible bodily harm from knitting needles or the tripping hazard of yarn flying everywhere.

This is America, Right?

No, I don't mean "Right America." I'm just curious. And I'm befuddled. Seems that the Food and Drug Administration is also befuddled.

Here's an article in this month's Reader's Digest. Look at it. And tell me if this doesn't worry you at some level. I know, we all try to minimize our need for prescription drugs. And truly, I know that it's better to try to get healthy without relying on Big Pharm.

But there are some things that don't respond well to "au naturel." Heart disease. Some forms of diabetes. Cancer. The list is long. 

And we have a crisis in medications. Here. In the USA. The most expensive medical system on the planet. And the FDA is telling us, "We can't compel the drug companies to do this or that."

Really??? Lemme see: FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. What exactly is it that you do, then?? 

There are people dying right now who don't have medical care. And, according to the information in this article, there are people dying right now who DO have medical care. Because a drug company no longer makes the drug they need, and there's no alternative to give them. 

The woman in the article (one of several scenarios) has a condition that has caused her to have a Vitamin A deficiency. That causes blindness when it's bad enough. The drug she was taking, Aquasol A, was manufactured by a company called Hospira, an American generic drug manufacturer. Well.... there were "manufacturing challenges" that caused this company to stop making this drug. That has a chain effect, folks. Because now, NOBODY has access to Aquasol A. Nobody no where no how... The company "recognizes the critical need" for this drug. (Nice of them...) But it hasn't managed, in a few years now, to find a separate manufacturing company so that the product can come back to the market. 

It gets better... The FDA, apparently, can't fix the problem of shortages because they say they can't compel manufacturers to make sure they produce enough or have an alternative, should something go awry. This woman's case went all the way to the Supreme Court, who refused to hear it. But her lawyer found that a version of the drug she needs is available. In France. 

But the FDA won't provide a compassionate-use exemption. 

It's like a circular firing squad. 

Speaking of Which...

No guns in God's house

This is what greeted us at church this Sunday. And I get it. I truly do. According to the laws in our state, now that the NRA has beaten out of us our last "good thing we got right," we now have to post signs where guns aren't allowed. 

Skip all the discussion about how this won't stop "a bad guy with a gun." Frankly, if you're at our local Chipotle and dressed out in your AK-47, I'm not certain whether you are a GOOD guy or a BAD guy. And I'm not going in there to find out.

Skip the discussion about how incredibly stupid-easy it is to get illegal guns. 

Just consider this. Our church is a 125-year-old building. This is screwed into the side door. Another one just like it is screwed into 125-year-old limestone. 

As far as I'm concerned, I get the issue of WHY. I don't get the issue of HOW. I mean, wouldn't there have been another way to post this at the front of the building, instead of defacing it? 

One of my choir buddies, a "lifer" at the church, is livid. I know that it's important to comply with the law. And I know how ridiculous it is -- if someone wants to come in there and shoot us up? Seriously. A sign's gonna prevent that?? 

I just wish there could be a better solution, instead of whacking into such an old and glorious building. 

And Speaking of Which...

I now work in the safest campus building in the entire world. Truly. Because for the next several weeks, my campus is host to police supervisory training. And my parking lot is blessedly full. With cop cars. 

Yes, they are allowed in my building with their guns. They're sworn officers. This is the first time since they were here last year that I've been able to just leave my building unlocked. 

I'm not in an unsafe area, by any means. But it's a long, stretched out building, and we've been told by campus security that we have to have a secured entry. Well, courtesy of the nearly 50 officers here today, I've got a secured entry. 

They book with me every year. I have to get up at "Oh My God" o'clock to be here for them, but it's great that we're able to provide the space for the training. 

The only downside is that cops bring donuts. So it's been a serious struggle. Not just any donuts but donuts from one of the best places in town. Not a franchise place, but a real mom-and-pop donut shop. 

The Garden Grows...

Hummingbird garden

Both of them. The front garden has been refined a bit, Hubby washed and scrubbed each of the hummingbird feeders to within an inch of their lives, and the flowers are blooming nicely. 

We saw a few of the little stinkers, but not recently. We're hoping they'll be back. 

The glass birdbath (in the back there, toward the day lilies) has been a good attraction. We have to get a bubbler in there, though. The twirly birds from the maple tree haven't helped. 

The Fuschia are blooming, too. And so are the herbs that I specifically planted for the birds and the bees. I still have some UFOs in there - not sure if it's a really cool weed or something I planted and failed to label last year. I'll give 'em a few more weeks to pan out and see what I have.

I do have what appears to be a record crop of Purple Coneflower coming back. At least I hope so. Otherwise, some monstrous weed has taken root. Probably planted by those evil, conniving squirrels. 

I don't know why they'd be mad. Sure, they can't get to our birdseed, but the sparrows are incredibly compliant in flicking seed onto the grass. The porky squirrels are not suffering, let me assure you.

Veggies galore

The veggie garden is also coming along. The herbs are loving the trug, though I still think they'd be a little better off with slightly more sun. But since they're behaving nicely, I guess I have to let that one go.

Radishes... we're gonna have radishes! I have to check out a pickling recipe, I think. I've heard you can roast them, which I'll try. 

Left-to-right, in the raised beds, we have tomatoes/cukes, then carrots/radishes and finally, that right-side bed is all lettuce. We have lots of lettuce seed left, so we'll be able to have that continually through the season. 

We'll have to thin out those radishes; and Hubby didn't even plant them all. 

Trug

The trug - that's just to give you a visual of what it looks like. There's basil, thyme, tarragon, parsley and rosemary in there. 

I have French lavender and 3 kinds of basil in pots in the front yard - that's just to let the birds and bees enjoy it. Also, sage. I'm using some of that basil and sage, anyway, but in order to have something for Mother Nature, I deliberately chose to let those basil plants go to seed. Their flowers will help the bees, and we get the additional benefit of some pretty plants that will potentially attract birds, too.

I'm hoping the cucumbers come out in force. God help me for saying that!! Will be doing pickles again. And if the herbs cooperate, probably some more basil jelly. Maybe tarragon jelly if I can figure that one out.

As far as pickles, I'm getting requests already for my "famous, hand-diced pickle relish." So I suppose that'll be the majority of the crop. We still have pickles from last time I did this!

And maybe, since there are only a few tomato plants, we might get more than 3 tomatoes. I'm serious. THREE tomatoes. Only. That's a bummer...

Knitting...

The second sock of the KAL is coming along. It's like the world's longest gusset, but I'm about 2" from starting the toe decrease. 

KAL Part Two

My friend R, from choir, wants to learn to knit socks. She's just going to be doing this pattern, the Plain Vanilla, and on DPNs, because that's the way I know how to knit 'em! Hoping to do that a little later this month. 

Will go back into the "WIP list" and figure out what to do next after I finish this final sock. I know I want to knit more socks, but I also want to finish some of the WIPs, as well as some of those projects listed alongside the blog. I do have some Monkey Socks stashed. I mean, they're already on the needles. And Teal #2 is staring at me. I can feel it. Right through the project bag.

I had wanted to have the February Lady Sweater done to wear this season. I've got the yoke complete. I know I can't knit lace unless I'm somewhere quiet. So, also, with the stashed baby sweaters. The blue one is almost done, at least the knitting. I want to start the lavender one. And from the extras, I want to do hats or something. 

Speaking of extras, anyone have something creative to do with leftover sock yarn? Perhaps a "crazy sock" made up of all the leftovers, no matter what color? Any ideas are welcome. 

Random Picture...

So the Icelandic poppies came back, bigger and better than ever. I confess, I was a little worried about them, after this brutal winter. But then I thought, "Icelandic." They should be able to stand this.

Icelandic Poppy

And they have. It's loaded with blossoms and takes up a big chunk of the "Trapezoid garden" - so-called because I mimicked the curve in the sidewalk. It actually resembles Home Plate... This is another plant that I've had for truly over 10 years. I haven't seen these cream-white blooms anywhere else. I'd love to get a few more, if I could find them. 

I'm sad because our across-the-street neighbor - there's something odd there. Usually, his garden has won our informal "who's is nicer?" contest. It was usually between 3 of us on the block, and till he came, I have to say, my garden was the most colorful. 

I say this because he had a huge bed of the bright orange poppies. I haven't seen him out there, and the garden has gone to crap. I don't know if he's ill or if he's moved out. His son is there. But he didn't inherit the green thumb, for sure. He can barely keep the grass mowed, much less give the flower beds a much-needed weeding. 

Anyway, back to Sock #2. It won't get done if I'm typing! 

Not Sure Where...

...the time went!  Hubby and I just had our 19th anniversary. It seems like "forever" and then it seems like "forever and a day" -- during good times and bad, right? We don't make a "big do" out of anniversaries. For one, our schedules are insane. And we have 3 dogs. And he has a 4 a.m. wake-up call... And my schedule can vary to where I'm either working all day, working the evening shift or coming home from work, grabbing a cheese stick and heading out to teach yoga. 

Cranes

But we did do a little something. We bought some cranes. I will say I'm disappointed. Menard's has these "two in a box" with one SKU number... but they charge you FOR EACH even though the tag didn't say that. It was a bummer. But anyway, this is what's in the front garden now. 

Eventually, there will be gravel there; we're working on it. 

We did cranes for a specific reason. Cranes are in it for life. Once they pick a partner, they're done. We've had some hard times, and rough starts. But we keep re-starting. We keep working at this thing called marriage. He's my rock. I don't tell him that enough. 

I am always amazed that he's as crazy about me as he says he is. Why is that so hard? Well, I don't think I'm alone - it's a human thing, and probably more of a female-thing. I don't ever think I'm "enough." Pretty enough; slim enough; happy enough; you get the idea. 

But he's shown me that "in good times and bad; in sickness and health" really does have meaning. Deep, abiding meaning. 

And for that, a pair of cranes just doesn't seem to do it. But he understands. 

Happy Anniversary, Dear!!

Crappy Mow Job...

Sounds like a really bad porn movie, right?? Well, where I work, I'm next to an empty lot. It's owned by a company who owns a LOT of empty lots in our county. And the village where I work is VERY particular that you keep your property mowed. 

Last year, I had lots of fighting on my hands because they also own the lot on the other side of my building and I had a huge influx of "critters" due to their lack of maintenance. 

Imagine how happy I was to see the mowers. 

Then look at this. Really??? I could've bought a herd of goats or alpaca and the grass would've looked MUCH better than this. Plus, I'd have gotten yarn AND fertilizer out of the bargain, too... 

I suppose I should just say, "Okey-dokey - not my problem." And really, it's not. And the bug guy will be happy to see this. He's coming out next week. He was gracious enough last year to give me a second spray for free because of the "new tenants" I kept seeing for a few weeks last year. 

And -- there's good news. My Coral Bells have come back!! I bought these at the end of the season, for 99-cents at the local Ace hardware. That was after deer ate the petunias. The pansies. The lamb's ear. Apparently, they don't like Coral Bells. 

Coral Bells

But bees do. And these will throw off some lovely tall white-flowered spires later on. 

I would've sworn they had died off. Those concrete planters are on the north side of the campus, and after all the brutal winter weather, I figured I was going to have to hike off for more plants. 

But lookee!!! I'm so excited!

I had them for years on the north side of my house, but in a bucket, sort of on the northeast side where they got a little more light. They're lovely flowers and if you can pick some up, do so. They come in a couple different varieties and with luck, they last several years. 

Detente...

Quinn & Raisa

Quinn and Raisa have come to a detente. As you can see, we no longer have exclusive rights to the couch. Well, we do, but we all know that it's too adorable when they want to sit there, especially together. 

For a while, we knew it was going to be a long process. Our patience has been rewarded. They've begun to play together more, and while we're still watchful, it's nice to see them developing a friendship. They make very good walking partners, as Tippi doesn't like to move fast and Quinn's a speedy little stinker. Raisa is the one who can not only keep up with her but probably outlast her. 

Raisa has become quite the vocalist. Every morning, I get a wake-up woooooooooo and every day when I come home, I get the Welcome Home Song. That's in addition to the "The Elkhounds are Singing, So I'm Doing Harmony" song and the "The Harmonica is Playing" song and our very favorite: "The Happy Toast" song. I'll have to get some of them on video. The other day when I was playing guitar, she started in, too, so maybe we'll have a "special screening" of her accompanying me. What a goof-ball she is!

Raisa is also doing quite well in Obedience. At least in class! I think we'll get Intermediate done with and then have her spayed. That'll get her over the rest of the summer, I think. It'll be interesting to see if we can keep the Red Husk-Cat Ninja away from her incision. The tube we used on the Elkhounds isn't going to be enough for this contortionist. It looks like it may have to be The Cone of Shame. 

That ought to be interesting. 

Sock KAL...

Sock KAL

So you know the Sock KAL is going along well. Sock #1 was done in a record 13 days. Yep. Thirteen days. By me. 

Go ahead. Fan yourself. My needles were practically on fire. I'm taking it a little more slowly on Sock #2, but Sock #1 won't have long to wait. Why is it that 1x1 ribbing takes forever??? Elizabeth Zimmerman used to say, "Knit the ribbing till you just about can't stand it, and then it's long enough." It works great on sweaters, but socks pretty much have to match. 

Except these won't exactly match. The construction will be the same, but I didn't want to waste the yarn to find the area closest to the beginning of Sock #1. It's a yarn that I'm not sure I can find again, and honestly, it's the same hank. If you're going to be that critical, then knit your own socks the way you want them. 

Isn't it enough that I'm knitting my own socks? I don't mean to be cranky, but occasionally on the knitting discussion sites, there are the "matchy" people and I don't happen to think that there's a strict rule about matching. Some yarns are really easy to match - I've seen some stunning, gorgeous, MATCHING socks. However, at least in my mind, if you have a ball of yarn that makes a pair, use it. Deal with the fact that even if you DID manage to find the starting point, unless you're doing 2 at a time, they're not going to be exact anyway. Every day you knit, you knit differently. Your state of mind, the weather, how you slept, how your hands feel... All of that impacts your knitting. My granny was a stickler for tension, so I'm usually ok with that, but as far as matching these?

This would drive her nuts. But she wouldn't have knitted this anyway. She'd have done argyles. 

Spring...

Junk Drawer

Cleaning, first. I had a spare moment, so I dove into the Junk Drawer at work and got rid of a car-load of pens. I brought them home, because our house apparently devours pens in the night. It's a lot neater now. I keep the coffee machine money in there, and it was becoming a disaster area. 

Nothing big, right? But "spring cleaning" starts incrementally. At least for me it does!

I'm told that this is the Year of the Deck. Our back deck is pretty horrid and it needs to be replaced. I keep nagging suggesting that this be done sooner rather than later. I finally got an assurance that yes, this is the year it'll get done. Along with the gravel in the front bed, and cleaning up the south bed. The south bed is about 99% done anyway; we just have to get some landscape brick or other system to contain it and we'll be putting slate chips in there. It's too much to maintain a garden on that side, and it's muddy right now. I don't want to put grass all the way to the house, and Hubby thinks it's just an invite to mice. 

Pictures of any progress will follow. I promise. I don't think he'll let me do anything else. 

And... nothing says "spring" like the annual (sometimes 2x/year) pedicure! I should have waited, I guess, but I was able to get in on a day off, so I took advantage of it. It's a little spa down the way from my house, and they're very nice there. The technician and I spent most of the time discussing our dogs.

Spring Toes

The only thing I would say that I don't like is that there's not a huge array of colors to pick from. The spa across the way from my office is larger, and they're about the same price. With more colors.

I finally found some nice, dressy sandals that are comfortable and have support. They're a little "retro" but I like that. They're made by Earth, and I got them on sale at Zappos. 

I like the rose-red color of the polish, and it's pearlized. I like that better than the solids. I apologize in advance for the "winter white" skin, but that's about as good as it gets. I'm not a sun-bunny. I'm a firm believer in sunscreen, hats and staying in when it's the most likely to scorch me. 

Anyway, these sandals are going with me to our Zonta convention in Orlando. This June. Really. Orlando in June. Yeesh. Last time I went, it was San Antonio. In June. I gotta get somewhere more temperate!

Random Picture...

Stingray Toy

Raisa is a toy hog. Seriously bad, and we don't want to start a war. And most of them, she destroys. Or the squeakers drive us to distraction. 

This is a new one. The tail is already chewed (and it's rated 7-out-of-10 in "toughness"), but I expected that. What I like is that it's not only keeping her occupied, but the squeaker is there and quiet. So she gets her squeaks and we can hear ourselves think. 

It's from Fun Time Dog Shop, of course, and it's the "Ray-Ray Sting Ray" toy. Click on the link and browse. All profits go to rescues and you can pick from a very nice list she has. 

At some point, we're hoping to gradually go through the toy box and get rid of some of the more "loved" toys. If we put a few of them out there, then perhaps she'll share. If not, she's going to learn how to share anyway. 

She only THINKS she's in charge. But then again, every Siberian Husky does!

Where's Waldo??? Or What Happened in a Blink...

Nothing rattles you more than something that happens in the blink of an eye. And I'm rattled. And perplexed. Flummoxed. Kerfuffled. Discombobulated. In a tizzy.

Missing Needle #5

Here's why. Notice what's missing??? That would be Needle Number 5. Crap. I've managed in the space of one eye blink to lose a needle. And I've looked everywhere. 

In my bag. In my handbag. On my desk. On the floor. In all my pockets. I laid it aside to pick up stitches with a crochet hook for the gusset of the sock. And from there? Who knows.

Gremlins. 

I can knit these on 4 needles. I just don't want to. (A) because these are BRAND NEW Karbonz. And (B) because I like using 5 needles. Just the way I learned. 

Magical!

Anyway, during the storms last night, I turned the heel. It's coming along and today was my day to get going on the gusset and perhaps the foot. This is for the Plain Vanilla KAL (knit-a-long) I'm doing. Have to have a pair of socks done by June 30. No pressure... And best yet, the yarn was already in The Stash. Gotta love that. Practically "free" socks (work with me here; knitters understand this philosophy).

It was nice last night, during all the hubbub of the storm to just watch the magic happen. I keep saying that, but you gotta wonder... Who was the first person to think of this way of making a sock heel happen? Whoever he or she was? Genius. 

I've been asked to teach my friend Roberta how to knit socks. I will do that on 5 needles, thanks!! 

Oh, I did switch to the "Doris Heel" - which is basically the slip-stitch heel, with K3 at each end. I didn't like the directions on the other one. Oh, and I didn't understand the directions on the gusset either, so I did something else. 

It'll be a nice sock. Even if it IS on only 4 needles. Grrrrrrr.

Garden...

Front Garden

So we got the garden in this weekend. About all of it, I think, just waiting on what may have survived the brutal winter.  The front is mostly flowers, but I have some basil, chives and dill that I'll let go to seed for the birds and bees. I have rosemary and more basil out in the back, so I'm covered. Also, lavender and some purple coneflower. The hyssop and borage will go into pots in the front.

And we've already seen our first hummingbird - just put those feeders up yesterday afternoon!

Monster Bleeding Heart

The Monster Bleeding Heart is back, and you can see in that first garden picture that our tiny little lilacs came through the freeze quite nicely. I'm still trying to convince Hubby that I want a compost bin and I want to take over that one side of the front yard for a flower garden...

I don't know if I have a full view of the Monster, but it's fully 20 years old if not more. It's taken over the northwest corner of the front sidewalk "garden" area, which is really crummy soil and mostly pea gravel. But for some reason, this thing is thriving. 

The lily of the valley are up, but I haven't seen the big hosta yet. I need to get in there and thin the lilies out again. 

Here's what the bleeding heart and lilac look like. I'm sad that the lilac only lasted one day in a vase. They're a fleeting flower - tells you that it's time to sit and enjoy, right?

Actually, gardening in and of itself tells you that you must have patience. And you have to see incremental success. And you work to enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

Lilacs and bleeding heart

It's like therapy, only in dirt. 

The sum total of what we have is as follows:  3 kinds of lettuce; 2 tomato plants; 2 kinds of cucumber (salad and pickling); carrots; radishes, scallions.

Herbs include: rosemary; basil, lemon thyme; parsley, garlic chives and dill.

Flowers include: marigolds; purple coneflower; lupine; flowering chives; hyssop; foxglove; borage; lavender. 

I think it'll be beautiful, fruitful and eclectic.

Just the way we like it.

Mother's Day...

Mother's Day

Was quiet, except that late after dinner, Mother Nature threw a phenomenal hissy fit. Hubby got me flowers. We don't "do" Mother's Day much. Just cards. Kid #1 called me early to wish me a happy day, and Kid #2 gave me a card that said, "You know it's all your fault."

You have to understand, we're also not a "sappy card" family. And I'm good with that!

I mean, they're not snotty or nasty... There's just a good dose of snark in them, with no mean intent or anything. We just like it that way. 

One year, I got my dad a "normal" (not sappy, but not snarky) birthday card, and he called me and asked me if I was mad at him... So that's just the way it is.

Random Picture...

The Girls

The gang. Left to right, Tippi, Raisa, Quinn. Tippi had gotten an end-of-the-year present from one of our therapy gigs, and they all saw the bag. So everyone got some.

This is "the rug." As in, "Get on the rug!" when they're getting treats or we want them out of the kitchen. 

Raisa is almost done with heat, which will make Tippi happy.

Tippi was very good last night with the storms, which normally terrify her. She was still scared, but she glued herself to my chair and was fine. 

Quinn is still Quinn - a lovable bundle of nervous energy. Each one adds a little something (besides tons of dog fur) to the family, and while it gets a little nuts navigating whirling big bundles of fur, it's still fun. 

And no, I haven't found the needle yet.

And yeah, I'm still annoyed.