Bustling

Very busy around here for the next week or so. I'm sure that there are many many homes where that is the case, though.

Tonight, we're going to dinner and Nutcracker highlights with Lucy and Mauricio.

Tomorrow, we're taking the girls to Town Square to see Santa (Jake's ONLY day off)

Monday and Tuesday, not much is going on other than the normal day to day stuff.

Wednesday, I'll be shopping for all the fresh ingredients for Christmas Dinner.

Thursday will be last minute prep work, like setting out linens in the spare room, making the desserts for after Christmas dinner, etc.

Friday, my parents and brother fly in. They'll be here until New Years Day. I'm so excited to have them see our new place!

Thank You, Winnie2!!

Everything:


An owl mirror, see how cute!? And *square* 40" size 2 needle. I'm really psyched to try this, I must say. And the cutest of cute gift tags. You nailed my style here, Winnie!
A GORGEOUS cowl made from Malabrigo Silky Merino. Sooooo soft.......
And owl mittens! See how cute?!? I can't resist them. lol
Perfect Day Yarns' Beat Sock in "Mermaid". Is it bad that I want to abandon everything I have on the needles to cast something on in this? I'm really coveting green combined with purple or pink right now. You *may* have quenched the craving. No definitive word on that yet though.Yarn Love's Juliet in "Enchanted". It's not at all bright like my camera is making it out to be. I'm not sure what's going on there... :( It's really dark and moody and muted. It's PERFECT. My camera has lost its mind. lol

These are going to hang in the school area of the house. They say "My Child is Student of the Month at Hogwarts" and "Hogwarts Alumni". Awesome!

Sole Food Swap Questionnaire

1. What weight of sock yarn do you generally prefer (fingering, sport, or DK?) I like them all, but use fingering weight the most.
   

2. What is your favorite type of yarn to knit with? I love animal fibers!
   

3. Are there any brands of sock yarn that you have wanted to work with but have not had the chance? I'd love to knit with any of the yarns in my Loopy Ewe wishlist, which is linked in my sidebar. :)
   

4. What colors do you like? For socks, I use any color! I love to express myself with fun crazy socks.
   

5. What colors do you not like? I don't knit with black. Only because it's so hard to see. lol
   

6. What type of recipes do you usually cook with? Anything BUT seafood.
   

7. What type of recipes do you usually bake with? lots of cakes and breads. Not so much with the pies, only because I don't really like pie. I make them occasionally, because my husband loves pie.
   

8. What is your favorite food? I don't really have one. I'm an equal opportunity food adorer. lol
   

9. Are you a tea or coffee drinker? Coffee. The darker the roast, the better.
   

10. What type of sweets do you like? Chocolate, fruity candies, etc. Just no licorice. Blech. lol
    

11. Does your kitchen have a theme? Contemporary. My accessories are chrome and red. My dishes are white.
    

12. Do you have any allergies (to food, fibers, pets, etc) or diet restrictions? Nope.
    

13. Is there anything else you would like your pal to know? You can get to know a lot about me through my rav profile and my blog. If there's anything else you need/want to know, feel free to ask. I love talking about myself. ;) (Don't we all?)
    

If you'd like to see photos (PRELIMINARY photos) of the new place, you can find them here: Krol Family Blog You can get a feel for how I've been spending the last week by looking at those photos. Also, Fleur and I did magic on our hair this weekend. Look what happened to mine!

I love it! It's fun, it's easy, and it feels much lighter.

Transitions.

My life is full of them right now.

I'm transitioning to the reality that I'll be oh so very far away from my mother, who I never imagined I'd ever live more than ten miles from.

I'm transitioning to the reality that I am indeed a "grown-up" and it's time to make my own traditions. This one is a bigger struggle than I'd expected it to be.

My Grandmother is transitioning to her life in the rehab facility. It's something she never wanted to do, but she'll need to if she wants to be able to use her legs well enough to remain independent for longer.

Transitions, transitions everywhere. I'm really looking forward to January, when the transitioning is all done, and I can start to settle in to life as it will be.

I fly in two days, for anyone looking for an update. I can't believe it's here!

11.23 Update on Gram

They've added a neurologist to her team of doctors (which already had a cardiologist, and a pulmonologist on it) and told her that she won't be home before Thanksgiving.

Update on Gram.

They ended up not biopsying (is that a word?) her lungs. The CT scan at UMass didn't show the spot that they saw at the first hospital, so we're back to knowing nothing. :(

Thankful.

Today I am thankful for:

• being raised by strong, independent women who taught *me* to be the same way.
• the freedom to be whoever I wish to be.
• friends who accept me exactly as I am, without apologies.
• having a dark sense of humor that allows me to find the funny in nearly any situation.
• tv, books and hobbies that help me take my mind off the bad times.
• modern medicine.
• the laughter of my children.
• my husband who mostly knows when to step in and overlap my responsibilities and when to step back and let me run over his.
• my hands, which let me knit.
• my knitting, which calms me when stressed, and challenges me when bored.
• my brother, who can make me giggle even when I'm angry at him.

Concern.

My grandmother is being transferred to UMass. They're going to biopsy her lungs. Sigh.

Love.

Today is To Write Love on Her Arms Day. To learn more, go to TWLOHA's Website.

I have my kit well under way. Things are nearing completion, things are under construction, and things are done and ready to go in the box. Could I be more cryptic right now? ;)

We're having friends over for dinner tonight. They're bringing something and we're making something. I doubt it'll look like an actual balanced meal when we sit down to eat, but who cares. It's not every day, right? Plus, they're a blast to hang out with so I'm really looking forward to that, too!

Knit-wise, not much to report. I'm in that awkward in-between phase where everything's getting worked on, but nothing's getting DONE.

Moving is coming along nicely. I think we've finally purged everything that we will be purging, and now it's just packing. Starting with non-essentials, obviously, working our way through to things that are more and more essential as we go. If you've ever moved, I sound completely redundant right now. I'm aware of that.

My grandmother is back in the hospital again. Only a small part of her lung(s?) is functioning properly, so she can't breathe. Time for another long round of tests and no answers, I imagine. Not really scared this time, just annoyed and wanting an answer. I'll be going to visit her in an hour or so.

The week in review

Saturday was Halloween. It went well, but Laura decided after four houses that she was done because her feet hurt, and "You buy me candy. Why am I here?" Sigh.

Sunday we hung around the house and didn't do much of anything. The time change is *still* kicking our butts...

Monday was a bit of a struggle, again thanks to the time change.

Tuesday the girls spent the night at my mom's, which was great because I'd get to sleep in! And then a garbage truck parked itself outside my bedroom window for far too long and banged around at 6:30 in the morning, so I still didn't sleep in.

Wednesday we went to visit my grandmother, as usual. The girls each lost their minds at different points of the visit, so by the time we got home I was completely exhausted and ready to give up even trying to parent them.

Today, I am sitting on the couch and working on Christmas gifts. I refuse to get up or do anything for anyone. It's Jake's day off, and his turn to handle a bit of the crazy.

Tomorrow (Friday) my nephew Michael, age 1, is spending the night here. Also, we're having friends of ours over for dinner and a game night. So, full house, but it'll be great.

Saturday will be a busy day of packing non-essentials, and dealing with the girls.

Sunday, though. Oh, Sunday... I can not wait for you to arrive... Sunday, we're using Jake's Father's season tickets to the Patriots, and going to a game! I'm SO excited. Can't wait! We're taking the train from Providence to the game, and will take it back afterwards (obviously) I'm so excited about getting to see a pro game live!

Knit Progress

So, I've been keeping very busy. Care to see with what?


These are Waterfall Socks by Wendy Johnson knit in Socks that Rock colorway "Peridot and Periwinkle".
A Percy Shawl in progress with Fresh From the Cauldron's "Alcide Herveaux" colorway.
Entangled Stitches cabled gloves in progress in Wollmeise 100% Sockenwolle in "Rotkappchen".And a Clapotis in progress in Fresh From the Cauldron's "Rosalie Hale".

There are more projects in progress as well as more recently finished items, but a couple are secrets- either swap kit parts or Christmas gifts.

I also spent Sunday and Monday very busy with this:
Laura turned four on Monday, which was great fun for all of us. She loved that they sang to her at Chili's, which was where she wanted to go for her birthday lunch. For dinner? She wanted cake, so that's what we had. :) (On a birthday, the one celebrating gets to choose all the meals.)

I can't believe

I forgot to blog! That's so unlike me. :( My week has been crazy, if that's any consolation.

I had a tooth pulled on Monday, but they couldn't do it normally, so I have an incision and stitch in my mouth which will be removed tomorrow.

I spent most of my week preparing for our upcoming move and Laura's birthday party (which is today). We had a few companies come and do in home estimates, and ended up deciding to do it ourselves, because it'll be about half the price.

Also, we signed our lease this week, and faxed it in. So, we're officially renting an apartment in Las Vegas! It won't be completed construction until just before we get there December 1, so we don't have to pay rent on it until December, which is a plus. :)

I'll try to be better this week about blogging. Hopefully next week will be a much calmer one.

Getting to know my fellow Quidditch Players

1. Same Craft as me- Antonio dela Weasley
2. Same birth month as me- Olive Bumblebirch
3. Different Country than me- Emma Wigworthy
4. New Player- Stellwa Quinn
5. 3 or more terms of HSKS- Lizzie Wychwood
6. Bigger stash than me- Megaera Black
7. Both knits and crochets- Ginny Lockheart
8. Same favorite color as me- Andromeda Finch-Flechley

I commented on some really gorgeous projects, and got to know things about many of my fellow players that I didn't know before. We have some REALLY talented players!

Favorites and Wish List

Favorite Colors: Green and pink, blue and brown, pink and brown (each as combinations), Green, Blue, purple, grays. I have recently found an extreme lack of yellow or orange in my sock stash, so those colors in sock yarns would be good. :)

Favorite Scents: I'm not a fan of anything overly sweet smelling, and get migraines from certain scents, so you're probably better off avoiding smelly things. Yankee Candle candles are safe, none of their scents have ever given me a headache (knock on wood...) Ooh. I LOVE the smell of Soak's "Scent for Celebration".

Favorite Yarn Brands: Malabrigo (all weights), Cosmic Fibers, Cascade 220, Knit Picks yarns.

Favorite Yarn Types: I'm always interested in new yarns for socks or lace. I like wools a lot. I'm not usually that fond of cottons, because they feel strange in my hands when I knit. Cotton blends are good, though. I knit mostly socks and lace, so the majority of my yarns are wool, and wool blends because of that.

Favorite Snacks: Spangler Circus Peanuts (yes. Those neon orange marshmallows shaped like peanuts. I love them.), Oreos, Jelly Belly Jelly Beans, Cheez-Its, Tortilla Soup (sort of hard to ship... ;) )

Allergies: None that apply to the swap, unless migraines from some scents counts.

Wishlists:
KnitPicks
Amazon
Loopy Ewe
Etsy

Stitch N Pitch...

More photos to follow, but here are a couple.

An Owl Landed Today!

And LOOK at everything it brought!

A pink notions case with polka dots (I love polka dots!), a green tape measure (green is my favorite color), a sample of soak (in a scent I've yet to try, yay!), and a little green notebook (I'm madly in love with paper. Nearly as much as I am with yarn.)

A hank of Olive Malabrigo Lace yarn (:snort: Olive yarn from Olive. This will NEVER get old.), a mini skein of sock yarn hand dyed by Olive, which will become part of my sock yarn blanket (isn't it gorgeous?!? She's so talented.), and a little felt ghosty-monster (I luff him. Laura is going to try to steal him, but she will not succeed.)

Lots of lovely stitch markers (yay!!! Stitch markers!!!), a copy of the lace shawl pattern "Percy" (which was recently on the short list for my next project), and a project bag that made me say "Ohhhhhh......" in the most reverent way one can possibly speak in relation to fabric.

Yummy yummy candies (Dagoba 65% cacao nibs chocolate bar. I nearly fainted) and the most heavenly smelling fruit tea I've ever put my nose near (Papaya and Pineapple, in case you were wondering). Holy Hannah, I'm in love.

Thank You

I just want to thank the ladies in my cabin for making HSKS Summer Camp so enjoyable for me. I've loved getting to know you better, and hope that you've had a good time too. HSKS9 is in the planning stages, and I hope to see you all back for it!

Busy Week.

So this week, I spent a few days at my Grandmother's house, because she can't be alone at night and my aunt (who my g-ma lives with) was going camping. I had fun with her, because my Gram is cool, but was glad to get home.

Also, I did Maddy's school shopping. She's going to look mah-velous (said in my best Billy Crystal. ;) ) in all her stylin' new clothes! I'm going to make her wear all her outfits and take photos on Monday. What fun is parenting if you don't get to torture your kids?!?!

In swap news, my package will be going out in the next couple of days, which is awesome.

Knit wise, I'm very excited, proud, and impressed with myself. I'm on the edging chart of my swallowtail shawl, which is the biggest project I've ever actually followed through on. I can't wait to block this sucker. I'm going to wear it EVERY day!

Also, Jessi gave me a GORGEOUS woven scarf tonight. It's an early going away gift, and I almost cried when she gave it to me. I'm going to wear it to our knit group tomorrow, and see how long it takes the ladies to notice it. I wonder if they'll recognize it. They saw her working on it... :)

Thursday- spent time with Jessi, then Kyle so that we could see each other before he goes back to school and I move cross-country.

Friday- beach until 2pm (NOT easy with Maddy, aka The Albino. Spf 50 every half hour, and a shirt at all times. Fun times.) Get an angry sunburn (on purpose, so that I'll tan in a few days. Didn't think it through very well though, because my busy weekend isn't even half over.) Then, fair entries. Followed by giving the girls dinner and getting them into bed.

Saturday- a.m. baking and cooking for a party two hours away. Then getting everyone ready to GO to said party, packing bags, etc. Then, 2 hour drive to party. Then spend the day micro-managing the kids because Jake's family makes me more neurotic than I usually am. Then two hours home, and drop into bed exhausted.

Sunday- cook and bake for the VJ Day parade/picnic/Jaimie's birthday party. Go to said p/p/p without Jake, because he needs to sleep for work.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words.

I feel like singing from the hilltops!

Look what I've accomplished this week! TWO finished objects, and a shawl that's through the second chart! Only a bit more to go! I'm SO proud of me, I just have to say.

Here's the shawl... Look how pretty it is. Just wait until it's DONE! And blocked so you can actually SEE the lace! These are a pair of fingerless mitts that I made. The yarn is a pink and green handspun/handdyed by a local dyer. She does GREAT work! The yarn was a gift from Lucy, when she was here in Feb.

A cozy for my sunglasses, so they don't get scratched and broken when they're not on my face. This was necessary. I'm very mean to sunglasses...

Summer Games #5 part 1

1. Animagus
2. Daily Prophet
3. Bowtruckle
4. Extendable Ear
5. Radish Earrings
6. Forbidden Forest
7. Golden Cherub
8. Thestral
9. High Inquisitor
10. Educational Decree

Progress

This has been a week for finished objects and frogging. I finished the sunglass cozy I was working on, as well as one of the campanula mitts out of the pair. If I ignore my knitter's ADD, the other will be finished before the week is out as well. I'm happy with the way it ended up, but then again, I adore green and pink.

As for frogging, my swallowtail got pulled back to nothing again. :sigh: I'm going to wear this sucker every day when I actually finish it! I'm now on attempt number 11. This time, I'm doing the smart thing and using lifelines. I'm not sure why I wasn't using them before this... Stupidity? Over-estimation of my ability to knit lace perfectly always with no mistakes? Who knows. Bit of both, most likely. Anyway... Back to square 1 today on that.

Also, I'm test knitting a pair of socks (for Jake when they're finished), and had to rip that out as well. I miscounted somehow, and the pattern on the top of the foot (don't worry, they were toe-up, so not too far in) was messed up.

Back to the drawing board!

Redikkulus!!!

Hahaha... Snape eating a lollipop in a candy shop! Who could be afraid of THAT?!?!

Summer Games #2, Part #2

17-4, 14-1, 9-6, 3-3
18-2, 3-3
19-4, 11-2, 9-3, 8-5, 15-9
7-1, 11-2
15-9, 11-2
15-9, 14-1, 9-6
13-8, 18-2, 8-5, 16-3, 6-5, 16-3, 5-3!

"When in doubt, go to the library!" ~Ron Weasley

Summer Games #2

Phew...This was NOT very easy for me to get started, I have to say! But once I got started, I was on a roll.


1. Chamber of Secrets
2. Harry Potter
3. Ron Weasley
4. Hermione Granger
5. Gryffindor
6. Dark Arts
7. Gilderoy Lockhart
8. Chamber of Secrets
9. House Elf
10. Harry Potter
11. Moaning Myrtle
12. Harry Potter
13. Ron Weasley
14. Harry Potter
15. Voldemort
16. Horcrux
17. Ron Weasley
18. Ginny Weasley
19. Gilderoy Lockhart
20. Prisoner of Azkaban


In the second volume of the HP books by JK Rowling, The (#1)Chrome Cab Festers, we continue to learn the incredible adventures of Hogwarts student (#2) Parry He Trot and his friends (#3) Oral Weensy and (#4) Angering Her More. Belonging to the house of (#5) Dry Off Grin, they attend Defense Against the (#6) Ark Darts taught by Wizarding celebrity (#7) Oracle Dorky Light, a none-too-bright fellow who cannot even handle pixies!
In The (#8) Chrome Cab Festers, we also meet Dobby a (#9)See Flu Oh for the first time. Determined Dobby seeks to sabotage the return of (#10) Parry He Trot to Hogwarts and is pretty persistent but is unsuccessful. After a few weeks at school, the deceased Ravenclaw student who haunts the girls lavatory, also known as (#11) My Molten Grain, shows (#12) Parry He Trot and (#13) Oral Weensy an old empty diary that dropped through her ghostly form out of thin air!
Many nifty things continue to happen for the next several months… we won’t go into all the juicy details right now… however, the ending is prime reading indeed!! (#14) Parry He Trot finally kills Tom Riddle’s (a.k.a #15 Mold Voter) sneaky diary (which we now know is a #16 Crux Rho) and saves the sister of (#17) Oral Weensy, (#18) Gayly Nine Sew!!!
Oh! Of course, we must mention that the thickheaded (#19) Oracle Dorky Light unintentionally erased his own memory, so he won’t be back for book three, The (#20) Snob In A Froze Parka…

My lie...

Nobody guessed mine! My lie was number 3. My middle name is NOT Beulah. That is, however, what my father wanted to name me. I still don't know why... My middle name is Paige. So, yes. I *can* cross my toes, I *do* change the sheets at 3 a.m. if they're wrinkled, and as for photos? Far more get deleted than get kept. I was never so thankful as the day that we converted to digital photography!!!

Vegas, so far.

Thursday morning we were up at four to get to the airport on time. We had just enough time to get through the airport security, get a bagel, and board the plane. Perfect timing! I took a couple small naps on the plane, knitted a little, and looked out the window to see this:We got to Vegas, and Lucy picked us up at baggage claim, where I started to cry like a baby when I saw her. Oy. LOL! I finally composed myself, and away we went to the hotel. We got there at around 10:30, so we couldn't check in yet. We checked our bags with the baggage handlers, and went to breakfast with Lucy. After that, I walked her back to her car so she could go back to work, while Jake got us checked in. We went up to our room, and this was the view out of our window:

Thursday night, Lucy picked us up at six when she got out of work. We went to her place to visit for a while, and got some Chipotle. Jake and I hadn't had it before, so it was quite a treat for us. So yummy!!! Around 10 (which felt like 1 a.m. to us) we went back to our room. This is what it looks like at night:

So pretty! We're facing New York, New York; MGM Grand, and Paris. We can see lots of fun places out of our window.

Friday we spent the morning walking around the strip and doing souvenier shopping. We're now finished with that, which is nice. We don't need to worry about running around like crazy next Sunday to get gifts for people! Friday night, we went to dinner with Lucy and Mauricio at a local Mexican restaurant which was very good. Then, we went to Town Square (I think that was the name... Lucy will correct me if I'm wrong, I'm sure. By the way, what was the name of the restaurant???) I needed makeup brushes, because I managed to forget mine at home, then we saw "Year 1" at the movie theater. I loved it, but then again, I love every movie that Michael Cera does.

Saturday, we wandered the strip some more, and had a lot of fun exploring the M&M World. Here's a photo of Jake with the yellow M:

Later on (around 5) Vanessa (sinknitty on Rav) picked me up at the hotel, and we went to Batista's for dinner. It's a great little hole in the wall Italian place. There was a tiny old man with an accordian who cracked me up. Dinner was great, and from there we went to Fremont Street. We had a vampire (a cosmo, but with black raspberry instead of triple sec. Very yummy) in a cute little bar, then walked Fremont. Being the tourist that I am, I took photos of all the pretty lights. But I'll spare you those. Instead, I'll show you Vanessa and I posing with a couple Chippendale models, how's that sound? Good? Good. Take a look...

Sigh...Good times, good times. Hahaha. We had so much fun! I can't wait to move here so I can spend more time with her, she's a blast. Oh, and there's another photo of just me with the boys. And they grabbed my butt! When I told Jake, he just shook his head, and laughed at me.

Today is Sunday, and Father's Day. Lucy will be coming over to the hotel after she spends some time with her Dad. Then, we'll work out our plans for the coming week. Can't wait to figure out all the fun things for the rest of the week!!!

Summer Games #1

Part 1- Ten Things In Your Trunk ("R")

1. Rubber bands (long hair gets hot in the summer!)
2. Rope, to make a hammock
3. Ranch dressing, in case there are veggies to eat up. Mmm...
4. Robert Frost poetry. Need something to read!
5. Radio, because music is like air to me.
6. rook from my chess set...don't know HOW that got in there...
7. rupees from my last trip to Nepal
8. my fishing Rod
9. a Right shoe with no mate. How does this HAPPEN to me? Did I pack in the dark?!?

10. Road map to the nearest mall. I don't do well without shopping around me. ;)

Part 2- "Wingo"...One space shy of a blackout. Bummer.

Part 3- Commenting on your spoiler/ee's projects.

Spoiler- Olive Bumblebirch. I commented on her Celtic Tote, which is GORGEOUS! Go look at it if you get a chance!

Spoilee- Patonga Pinkstone. Did you know that she makes tons of beautiful socks? I commented on her Serendipities Socks. It was hard not to comment on all of them, because they all deserve mention!

Need help with "Wingo"?

W1- I live in NE Connecticut, so if you're within 100 miles of there, there you go...
W2- Yes, I'm a Ravenclaw
W3- Ram
W4- Yes
W5- Yes
I1- Yes, if you count quidditch played in HSKS
I2- No, just one brother, unless my "in-laws" count, which I doubt.
I3- No
I4- August
I5- No.
N1- chocolate, Spangler's Circus Peanuts, ice cream, gummy candies, jelly belly jelly beans
N2- No
N3- No
N4- Clarinet, poorly
N5- Not unless novelty trains at theme parks or retired train cars turned into diners count.
G1- No
G2- 238
G3- yes
G4- No, I left my owl at home
G5- A little French, a little Latin, a little Polish
O1- USA
O2- No
O3- Clowns
O4- No
O5- No


I hope these answers helped someone. :)

Three Truths and a Lie

(About Me, obviously)
1. I can cross my pinky toes. The way that most people cross their fingers.
2. I hate the way I look in photographs. That's why there are so few of me.
3. My middle name is Beulah. My father chose it.
4. I'm neurotic about my bedsheets, and will change them at 3 in the morning if need be.


No playing, Draco.

Wish List

Some ideas, to aid anyone wishing to gift me...

• Dark Chocolate (no nuts, please)
• Journals. I love to write, and am working on my first novel as well as an anthology of poetry.
• I love wooden needles and hooks, and am slowly trying to convert all of my crochet hooks to wood. I love the Brittany hooks, but they're all I've tried. I've got a wooden "g" hook. More for my collection would be lovely.
• Much like the journals, I love new pens. I like to try all kinds. I'm a tactile person, and write on paper, then transfer it to the computer- rather than just writing there straight away.
• My favorite yarns are Cascade 220 and Malabrigo. I'd also enjoy checking out new laceweight yarns, or new cottons. I've pretty much only tried Sugar 'n' Cream and Peaches 'n' Cream. I like to make washcloths, dishcloths and market bags though, which all lend themselves to cotton.
• Here's a link to my Amazon wishlist: http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=wishlist&id=2P4RXSQLQMML3
• And Loopy Ewe... http://www.theloopyewe.com/wishlist/show/20135/?token=ea5fadf058eb
• And finally, Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/favorite_listings_public.php?user_id=5330998
• As for bags, I adore everything I've seen or bought at both Slipped Stitch Designs and Julip Bags. In my opinion, one can never have too many bags.
• I love fun, kitchy designs, as well as geometric prints...
• I also love to sew and adore fabric.

I have no allergies, but can't drink coffee or tea, and don't like nuts, except cashews. :) Thanks for looking, happy swapping!

Thankful for women.

I've been reminiscing the past few days, and am finding myself waxing nostalgic. I never had many female friends as a teen, or until recently, really. I tend to vascillate between surrounding myself with men, and being a self-proclaimed "loner". The longest friendship I've ever had is with my husband, and he and I have no similar hobbies or pastimes.

Recently, I've found myself with girlfriends for the first time. I met Lucy a little over a year ago, and we're now inseperable even though there is an entire continent between us. I think about her, how she's doing, what's going on in her day. I do this every day. Her being pervades my existance in the strangest ways. Ways that no friend has ever done before. It makes me realize that I've always been a solitary creature, even when surrounded by people. Lucy will say something in passing that seems insignifigant, and then weeks later, something will remind me of it, and I laugh for a while to myself. It's like I'm suddenly a part of something that I never understood, or particularly wanted to be a part of.

Then there's Heather. I find myself linked to her as well. On paper, we have many differences. And yet, we mesh so very well. I wonder if that's because of our commonalities, or the differences? If I'm having a particularly difficult day, I can take solace in the knowledge that if I were to call Heather, she'd be able to relate experiences so similar that she could be telling my story. And after many conversations with her, I know that it's the same for her. We've become a boon to each other in our difficult days. Again, something I never knew I needed. I've always felt that my problems are no one's but my own, and that I'd soldier through to the other side. No one wanted to hear about my problems, they had plenty of their own. I never knew how liberating those two little words could be... "Me too!"

Jessi is my local mom friend. It's so wonderful to be able to call someone and say "I'm about to lose my mind. Can you stop by and hang out for a few minutes so I can talk to an adult?" To have someone to make plans with so that the kids can play together, and stop making each other crazy. That's incredible. And she's so funny! And witty, and smart, and charming. And she looks at things differently than I do, which helps me look at things from a different point. And when I'm having a rough patch dealing with my husband, there are again those two little words that keep me from feeling like I'm on an island to myself.

My knitting group on Saturday mornings is filled with such diverse, incredible, intelligent women. I love spending time with them. I always come away with something that helps me get through the rest of the week. All of these women fill my heart with such joy, and I just don't know how I ever thought that life was easier without girlfriends.

I've come to a realization these past few days. Life isn't easier without girlfriends. I always said "Women are so catty. That's why I'm friends with guys." Maybe I just didn't know the right women. These women I've chosen to surround myself with have been nothing but a boon to me, and I hope I've been the same to them. It is so liberating to be able to speak my mind, and say things that I thought I must be the only one thinking, just to be answered with "Me too." How refreshing. Looking back, I can't understand how I ever survived the length of time I did without girlfriends. Or, more specifically...without THESE girlfriends.

If you're reading...I love you all.

15 in 15...

15 Books in 15 Minutes
Saw this question on another blog that I read and thought it would be great to answer.
“This can be a quick one. Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.”
1. The Great Gatsby- F Scott Fitzgerald
2. A Fine Balance- Rohinton Mistry
3. The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down- Anne Fadiman
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- JK Rowling
5. Island of the Blue Dolphin- Scott O'Dell
6. The Hobbit- JRR Tolkein
7. The Book of Ruth- The Bible
8. The Five Love Languages- Dr Gary Chapman
9. New Hope for People with Bipolar Disorder- Jan Fawcett, et al.
10. America's Women- Gail Collins
11. As I Lay Dying- William Faulkner
12. Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
13. Wicked- Gregory Maguire
14. To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee
15. Merry Wives of Windsor- William Shakespeare

It would seem that

To Do lists WORK!

The last three days, I've made to-do lists, and have been far more productive in the last three days than I've been in the last three weeks! Granted, a few of the things on my list are "gimme" tasks. Things that are there just for the sheer satisfaction of crossing them off. (Shower? Eat Dinner? Done, and Done!) Also included in my to-do list are knitting projects. Because of this, there will be things actually knitting their way OFF the needles, rather than being ripped out in six months, because even though I have seven pair of needles that size, they're all in use... Woohoo for being productive!!!

Went to see my grandmother

My friend Vanessa (a.k.a. sinknitty, a.k.a. Ophelia Ballycastle) and I are going to knit the Swallowtail Shawl together (search Ravelry for the link. It's very pretty! :) ). I wanted to do it in sock yarn, but the only thing I had enough of that would show the pattern well was Wollmeise. I am by no means a hoarder. By that I mean, I'm more than happy to USE my yarns. However, this is a bright, tomato-ey red, and if I put it that close to my face, I'd look HORRIBLE. So, it's destined for socks. Anyway... I didn't have any laceweight in a sufficient yardage that I thought would look good. So, off to Grandmother's house I went. Here's the thread I decided will become my Swallowtail:I was more than happy to leave with just that, but she started talking about steel crochet hooks (you know, the itty bitty ones? The ones where the higher the number, the smaller the hook? Yeah. Those.), and did I have any? No, I didn't. So she started looking through her things, and this is what she sent me home with. Everything pictured is vintage, some still in original packaging. But one thing in this picture is very dear, and nearly made me cry with pride.This. This right here. This is my Great-Great-Grandmother's bone crochet hook, size D. That makes this hook at LEAST 120 years old. At least. If not much older, because who knows if my Great-Great-Grandmother even got it brand new? I am very touched, and feel very proud to have been given this heirloom. It's kind of hard to put into words, actually. The shaping is gorgeous, and I keep just staring at it, and wondering what kinds of garments it made, and what it went through in it's 120+ years... The stories this hook could tell...

Sick, AGAIN

This is ridiculous. I am sick, again. This time, it's bronchitis. I really wish that my immune system would reboot, because this is getting absurd.

Mad Lib, Part 2.

I have to tell you about the wicked time I had in Diagon Alley last weekend! My friend Fleur Sweeting and I decided that we really needed some new socks and had to get over to Diagon Alley immediately. Fleur put on her stiletto boots because it was soft and did not want to get a cold. I grabbed my iPod and we headed to the trains.
While waiting for our train to Diagon Alley, we chatted with Hermione Bagnold and Cass Puddlemere who were planning to visit Gringott’s. Cass did not want to go alone because he/she was collecting a couch and that was very squishy and brought Hermione along for her excellence in protecting spells.
The train arrived and off we went. Our seats were very comfortable and the train sped along towards Diagon Alley and we were there in a flash! Before heading to the Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe, we went into a table that sells the clean meatballs!!! As we neared the 11, we noticed quite a lot of commotion! The table owner had set the meatball-making machine and it had gotten stuck! Meatballs were stunning everywhere! I ducked as a cream-filled meatball came stunning right at me and it cracked into Professor Flitwick ’s pencil skirt just as they walked through the door! A tomato meatball did a nose dive and splattered all over the doorway most elaborately! We made it out of the store just as a meatball frog and a kettle of Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans collided in a rainstorm of goo!
Since we were still killer, we walked the 7 blocks over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor! I decided on a cone with grape ice cream and Fleur got the hot fudge sundae with extra cheese! Yummy! Professor Flitwick had made his way over here as well after the incident at the meatball shoppe and had chosen a Coke float.
After that, we passed Gringott’s and headed to Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe! I tried not to look at the beautiful skeins of silk and bamboo and wool and instead, headed toward the socks while Fleur stopped to run the stitch markers. I found a squeaky sock made out of steel and made my purchase. Fleur kept hedging between the sock she came for and a pattern for a sweater. She chose the sweater pattern and we walked the back towards the train station just in time to make the 12:30 train.
After sitting down, we noticed Hermione and Cass were on the train as well. Cass looked quite shiny to have the couch with them. Hermione however did not look shinied at all. While waiting to go into the vault, a baby goblin waiting in line with his Mommy, had swam on Hermione getting bacon all over her clean robes! The smell really was just horrendous! Apparently, Hermione’s protecting spells don’t work well against bacon!! We made our way to a less smelly compartment and talked about how we were going explain missing Professor McGonagall’s lecture on the valuable ways pygmy puffs are working with the Department of Mysteries in solving unsolvable hutches!

Ravenclaw Mad Lib

1- An adjective-wicked
2- A fellow Ravenclaw- Fleur Sweeting
3- A knitting or crocheting item- socks
4- A clothing accessory- stiletto boots
5- An adjective-soft
6- Something you always have with you- iPod
7- A HSKS student1- Hermione Bagnold
8- A HSKS student2- Cass Puddlemere
9- A noun- couch
10- An adjective- squishy
11- A noun- table
12- An adjective- clean
13- A food- meatballs
14- An adjective ending in “ing”- stunning
15- An adjective ending in “ed”- cracked
16- A Professor at Hogwarts- Flitwick
17- An article of clothing- pencil skirt
18- A food flavor-tomato
19- A part of a room- doorway
20- An adjective- killer
21- A number- 7
22- A food flavor- grape
23- A food topping- cheese
24- A drink- Coke
25- A verb-run
26- An adjective- squeaky
27- Something you can knit or crochet- sweater
28- An adjective- shiny
29- A past tense verb- swam
30- A food or drink- bacon
31- A Professor at Hogwarts- McGonagall
32- A magical creature in Harry Potter’s world- pygmy puff
33- A noun- hutch

Final Round of Quidditch- Term 7

1. This “Harry Potter” character’s first name comes from Roman mythology. The mythological character’s twin brother is named Romulus. What is the Harry Potter character last name?
a. Black
b. Lupin
c. Pucey
d. Finnigan

2. Which “Harry Potter” character’s first name is the Roman equivalent of the Greed Goddess Athena?
a. Evans
b. Malfoy
c. McGonagall
d. Flitwick

3. In ‘Harry Potter’ World, this wizard has created the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer Stone in the US). The historical figure from the 14th and 15th centuries was a scribe and a manuscript-seller who became famous as an alchemist. Who is this individual?

Nicholas Flamel

4. What is the first name of a character whose last name is the name of a Bulgarian leader from early 9th century who doubled the country’s territory?
a. Theodore
b. Cedric
c. Viktor
d. Vincent

5. Which character’s name is the name of goddess in Indian mythology?
a. Creevey
b. Patil
c. Zabini
d. Vane

6. “Where the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Max, a young boy sent to bed without his supper for his wild antics. Who created this winner of the Caldecott Medal?
a. Maurice Sendak
b. Chris Van Allsberg
c. Ezra Jack Keats
d. John Steptoe

7. What was NOT one of the unexpected defense mechanisms that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook encountered in their attempt to rob Gringotts?
a. The Flagrante Curse
b. The Thieves’ Downfall
c. Anti-summoning Enchantments
d. The Geminio Curse

8. What was Snape aiming at when he cut off George’s ear?
a. Another Death Eater’s back
b. George’s wand hand
c. Another Death Eater’s wand hand
d. George’s face

9. How much older than James was Lily? (Referring to Harry’s parents, not children).
a. James was older
b. 6 months
c. 1 month
d. 2 months

10. Food is one of the five exceptions to what magical law?
a. Grimp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
b. Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
c. Gamp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration
d. Grimp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration



Picture Hunt
George

McGonagall
Patil
Where the Wild Things Are

Knitting.

On the needles:
1. Twisted Flower by Cookie A in some really pretty purple/blue/pink handspun. "Twisted Berry Drips".
2. Django by Cookie A in MadelineTosh "Alabaster". "Alabaster Swing".
3. Trystero by Cookie A in KnitPicks Imagination "Unicorn". "Every Mail Fantasy".
4. Plain sock for Maddy in Bernat Sox "Pink Camoflauge".

Thinking about:
1. Longies
2. Soakers
3. Sleep Sacks

Not for me! I have a family member, and a friend who are pregnant. One is due in Nov. the other in Dec. Thinking about gift knitting...

Need to knit:
1. Angee by Cookie A in Dream in Color Smooshy "Cool Fire". "Hot in the City" for my mother
2. Shoulderette in Caron Simply Soft, in a powdery blue, for Jake's grandmother.

Sick...

I am sick, sick, sick. I've lost my voice, and have had a sore throat and a headache for three days now. I've been spending my time watching season 2 of The Tudors (Oh Henry, you rascal, you...) and napping, and playing with the girls. I haven't even gone to Thursday night knit group in the longest time. I feel so...shlubby. LOL Sunday is Easter. Tomorrow, we will be dyeing eggs. My in-laws will be over for dinner, and then afterwards my parents and brother will come over and we'll all help the girls with the eggs. Then, Sunday we'll pop down to the in-laws' for a few minutes to visit, and then to my mom's for a egg hunt and dinner.

Relief!!!

I didn’t want to talk about this very much when it was still so up in the air, but it looks like we may be moving to Vegas!

Jake called me after he got done with his interview (he’s in Vegas right now, lol) and said that it went REALLY well. The interviewer is the hiring manager (HM), and they really hit it off. The HM said that he really, really liked Jake. He loved how much Jake knew about the property, and about surveillance in general. They discussed the pros and cons of the different systems, etc. The HM said that he’s about 85-90% sure he’s going to offer Jake a job. The position he applied for has over 100 applicants and three openings. The HM asked him if he’d be willing to take an “operator” (his current title) position if he didn’t get the “lead operator” (shift supervisor) position. He said “Well, that depends. It’s going to be expensive to relocate across the country. Can you give me a ball park as to the salary?” The HM quoted him a number, and it was $5 an hour MORE than his current pay for the operator position, and $7 an hour more than current pay for the supervisor position.

I’m finally letting myself start to get excited! If he gets it, he’ll get an offer in writing in September. Yay! Think happy thoughts, everyone!

So...

Here's where *I* am lately:



~Jealous: that Jake gets to see/be near Lucy tomorrow, and I don't.



~Anxious: for his interview to go well.



~Nervous: about his flight.



~Industrious: I've knit a pair of socks this week, and am starting on another, See?



~Excited: About knitting group on Saturday, and about the idea of paying the first installment on the yarn club I'm in, because that means that I'm that much closer to the first shipment!


~Bored: with the idea of spending my whole day today cleaning the house, because I've been neglecting it to knit socks.


~Apathetic: about the knee socks I'm supposed to be knitting for my aunt. Upside? They're toe up, which is fun. Downside? She's got a size 10 foot, and wants a plain stockinette sock.


~Happy: that the girls are going to get time with Jake's parents and his grandmother this weekend. They don't see her nearly enough.


~Curious: about what life will bring if Jake DOES get the job, and we DO move to Vegas. I've never lived anywhere else but Connecticut. It's going to be a grand adventure, and I really hope I get to go on it.


~Playful: I just want to turn the stereo up and dance around the house all morning.


~Wistful: I miss Lucy. :sigh:


~Hopeful: That today will be a good day with the girls, with minimal melt-downs, and that things will go smoothly. I kind of need that today.


Looking forward to: mid day emails from Lucy, dinner with my family, wearing my new socks, Friday's playdate, Saturday's SnB, and Jake coming home (and he hasn't even left yet!)

My Kit Is Here!

My kit from Dagmara Grindewald arrived today. Her owl was tired, but after a couple treats he perked up, and is ready for the return flight home. :)Here's an overview:My first Yarn Harlot book! I adore her blog, and she frequently has me laughing out loud. I'm so thrilled to finally own one of her books. I fear this is a slippery slope, and I will soon be huddled in a bookstore babbling incessantly. This happens all too often. ;)

Charmed Knits. Yes, I know. I may be the only knitter/HP fan on the planet who didn't already own this book, but there you have it. Now I do!

A journal! A BIG journal! Look, Lucy! A Journal! (I love journals. Adore them to a point which may be unhealthy. I love to write, and hope to someday be published, so journals are very dear to me.)

Pretty blue yarn:Look how pretty she is! Double pointed needles, size two. Thank you! :)See this little pouch? It has flair (I *heart* flair.) The flair says "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!", which (ask anyone) is generally the case with me.This was inside the flair. It smells as nice as it looks. And, it hasn't caused a migraine! Bonus!

Okay. This. This, I am in awe of. First of all, when I opened the box and saw so many books, the bibliophile in me nearly fainted. This, however, takes the cake. It's a Wandmaker's Guidebook. I wonder if this is how Ollivander learned? At the end, I get my very own wand to make! How cool is THAT? A few photos...

Overall, an exceptional kit. Thank you so very much, Dagmara! You're such a sweetheart, and the things you picked for me were perfect! :)