Saturday, October 31, 2015

Whaddaya Think?

Our Travelling Scarf has reached its final destination!  The lovely Kathy has the honor of finishing it up.  Look at how it's grown:
I'm now taking suggestions on what we should do with it.  Raffle?  Sale, with proceeds to charity?  Send it back to one of the knitters?

I would love to do something like this again.  Just sitting here all day makes me hungry for human interaction, and this is one way to get it.  This is probably not a good time of year to actually start something, but maybe we can start coming up with ideas to put into motion in the new year.  Another journeyman project?  Swap(s)?  Collect squares that can be made into a blanket and given to charity?  Secret Pals?

Rupert prefers to be left out of decision-making.  It bores him so.
 

Riley can't be bothered, either.

And while my back was turned taking pictures, Madeleine helped herself to a drink.

Who's in charge here, anyway?

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Sounds

Someone posted this video on Facebook the other day, which reminded me of how much I love the sound of horses' hooves on ground.  Which made me thaink about other not-so-obvious sounds that make me happy.  (Things other than babies laughing, rain on tin roofs, etc.)

A basketball going through the net.
Someone with taps on their shoes walking.
The pops and hisses on vinyl records.
A typewriter's carriage being thrown back.  (Not the bell, though.  The bell annoys.)
Ice cubes being put into a glass glass.
Tires running through a patch of water on the road.
An ice skater stopping by shaving the ice.

Speaking of ice, hockey season has begun.  It's a sport, so you know I'm interested.  Even bought myself a new knitting bag to celebrate:

Who's "Lundqvist," some of you may ask.  He's this guy.

You're reconsidering your own stance on hockey now, aren't you? 

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Lemonade

It's a good thing I didn't plan much Christmas knitting this year.  Even if I had started before Finn bit me, there's just no way anything would get finished.  It is so uncomfortable to hold the needles and feed the yarn.  The upshot is that I can knit whatever I want, without deadlines.  However, my etsy shop is practically empty, at the time of year sales are most likely.

Fortunately, we have nice weather today:

I'm not being sarcastic, I promise you.  Gray, windy, rainy --- days like this make me feel snug and safe.  It is perfect weather for reading, and for knitting.

You know, , ,  If I could. . .



Sunday, October 25, 2015

I'm In The Club!

Kathy has become an important person in my life, sharing her kindness and ideas.  She told me about the reviewers program at Chewy.com, and suggested I volunteer. With a dog and four cats, it seemed like I might be someone Chewy would need.

It turns out I am!  And I got my first product yesterday:
Primal Freeze-dried Liver Treats., for both dogs and cats.

Rupert has never been a treats kind of dog, so he wasn't interested.

The cats, though, loved them.  After I gave each of them a taste, I put the bag on a kitchen counter, only to hear a distinct "drop" in a couple of minutes.
Lily wanted more, and wasn't shy about how she got them.  The other three cats were also happy to help themselves.

So, Primal Liver Treats get a clear "A+" from the Dean felines.  Dog-wise, not so much.  I should also add that my son's cat devoured them, too.

This bag of treats was a free product, and I have not been paid for this review.  Each monthly review will reflect our honest experience with Chewy.com's products.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Yin and Yang

The fulcrum of this week has been Briton's birthday.  This year, there was special seating:

Madeleine ran a quick quality test before Briton (and Hannah) got here:
She approved.  She also managed to dislodge some of the lights,  Fairly easy fix, though.

We had a nice dinner, with lots of good conversation.  Between Hannah and Briton, video games are always a topic, and they always wind up at Pokemon.

The two of them are almost perfect polar opposites.  Other than their last name, the only thing the same about them is their father's brown eyes.  When they are on the same page, truly getting along, it is magic.  Out of this world.  When one or the other is a little snippy, it will crack an awful chasm between them that contaminates the entire time they spend together.  Either way, there's nothing to do but watch.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Thank You, Bronn

Hmmmm.

I wonder what holiday projects might lurk within this box?
Do you think they can be completed in a timely, unstressed manner?


Sunday, October 18, 2015

No Good Deed. . .

A friend I've had since middle school recently got engaged, so, naturally, the KNIT SOMETHING FOR THEM part of my brain lit up.  I immediately started searching for patterns that would fit her and her wife-to-be.  Found one called "A Kiss."  Perfect.

Next came the search for the yarn(s).  I found two colorways, one with my friend's name in it, one with her girlfriend's.  I could not believe my luck.  I couldn't wait to get started.

So I began.

And began again.

And began one more time.

It just wasn't happening.  I could not get what was on my needles to match what was on the paper.
But I found another pattern.  Its name is still appropriate, but all those disappointments have taken the shine off my eagerness.






Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Seven Hundred

Before I explain the title, let's take a look at our lovely two-time Knitters' Chick, Dame Maggie Smith.  Splendid, isn't she?

***************************************************
This is my 700th post.  And this has been the day on which I created it.

Therapy this afternoon, so the boots had to be polished:

The nail polish needed touching up:

Work on a hat to send to Click for Babies
to join the others you've already finished:

Get a needed, but quite terrifying, styrofoam child's head in the mail:

Leave for therapy in the car that anyone who knows me would be able to pick out in a parking lot, unaided.

Hello, Atlanta Highway traffic.


Get to therapy
and park next to that great Thunderbird convertible:
I want one.  Really.  Maybe even in the same color.

After therapy, get back home:

Take Rupert out.  But he won't let you take a picture of his sweet face --- he's done, and he wants to go inside for his treat, thankyouverymuch.

Change into the COMFY CLOTHES,

put Black Violin on Spotify

 and put a hat on that baby head to ratchet down the Creepy:
Even just a little. . .


Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Maybe with Carmen SanDiego?

What has become of the Travelling Scarf?  It's been a while since anyone sent any word, and the downstream knitters are getting anxious.  If you have it, could you please send it along to the next person, even if you haven't been able to add to it?

Thanks in advance!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

It Hurts To Knit

That's about the sum total of my life right now.  Knitting is how I spend 75% to 80% of my time, and with the pain, that's just impossible.  It's also painful to write --- filling out a check is torture.  My hope is that this increased discomfort is a sign of healing, like a cut will begin to itch as it heals.  Otherwise, All is Bleak.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Ten Things

Ten Things You Can Do To Be Supportive When Someone Dies

1.  Listen.
2.  Let them cry.  Cry with them.  Tears help.
3.  Listen.
4.  Let them be quiet when they need to be.
5.  Listen.
6.  Let them lead.  This is their grief, not yours.  It will unfold as they need it to.
7.  Listen.
8.  Don't be afraid to smile.
9.  Don't say, "I'll do anything to help you," if you don't mean it.
10.  LOVE THEM.  Word and deed.  LOVE THEM.

Saturday, October 3, 2015

Batman

My son and I got into a conversation about Batman the other day.  Growing up, I loved Batman. (He's still my favorite superhero, along with Captain America.)  The "BIF!" "POW!" Batman with Adam West was on TV, and I never missed an episode.  We started talking about Batman villains, and I looked up the ones I remembered, winding up at this photo of Cesar Romero, who was The Joker.  Dashing, wouldn't you say?
 

My favorite toy when I was growing up was a Batman periscope.  I loved to "spy" on the houses and the people on my street.  And one of my clearest, fondest childhood memories is going to an auto show and seeing the Batmobile.  I even defied the signs and managed to touch one of the fins.  (Yep.  I was a rebel.)
"Atomic batteries to power;  turbines to speed!"

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Soothing the Savage Beast

As for me:

Three Songs That Just Make You Happy
"Down On the Corner" --- Creedence Clearwater Revival
"River of Dreams" --- Billy Joel
"You Win Again" --- Bee Gees

Three Songs That Make You Want To Dance
"Roll With It" --- Steve Winwood
"Addicted to Love" --- Robert Palmer
"Mustang Sally" --- Wilson Pickett

Three Songs You Always Sing Along With
"Nights on Broadway" --- Bee Gees
"Imitation of Life" --- REM
"Fancy Free" --- Oak Ridge Boys

Three Songs You Blast In Your Car
"Do Not Pass Me By" --- MC Hammer
"Strawberry Wine" --- Deana Carter
"Cocaine" --- Eric Clapton

Three Songs You Could Put On Infinite Replay
"Sister Golden Hair" --- America
"Breaking Down Slow" --- Lee Roy Parnell and Bonnie Bramlett
"He Thinks He'll Keep Her" --- Mary Chapin Carpenter

Three Songs Whose Lyrics You Love
"'Til I Can Gain Control Again" --- by Rodney Crowell
"I Hung My Head" --- by Sting
"Ballad of a Runaway Horse" --- by Leonard Cohen

Three Songs You Don't Like At All
"Rocky Top"
"New York, New York"
"Ebony and Ivory"

Three Songs That Make You Want To Close Your Eyes And Just Listen 
"Nessun Dorma" --- The Three Tenors
"Words" --- Bee Gees
"Daniel" --- Elton John

How about your choices?  Pick three (or more) of the categories above, along with your three songs for each, and tell me about them in the Comments section.  At Noon (ET) tomorrow, I'll choose three commenters randomly, and send them a little something or other. . .

48

If you've ever rented a movie on Amazon Prime, you know you have 48 hours in which to watch it.  (By the way, why do we "watch"...