
Happy Birthday!!

Pre-Christmas Madness



Lusty Me!

Time Flies



But Can She Wear Boots?
In the meantime, I have begun the back of my vest, deciding finally on a rounded band over the neck and shoulders that dips lower in the front. On order is Vogue’s Stitionary, Vol. 2 so I can pick out a gorgeous cable pattern that will stretch well over the shoulders and bust. We’ll see how it goes-even if it is relegated to my collection of never-to-be-worn FO’s I will share my pattern. But you must keep in mind that I am designing it for my figure, which I am sorry to say resembles that of a 12-year old girl lately. Optimistically speaking, it might turn out to be perfect for your teenage sister. Ha.
But the feminine musing of the day involves boots. Boots. My passion for fashion has been dulled this year since nothing looks good on me lately, no matter how carefully I search. However, the lust for shoes is never affected by weight gain or loss. My lust for boots though, has tormented me for ages. Seven years ago I had a pair of stacked knee-high black boots that I wore proudly, until being hollered at crudely by some scumbag in a Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot. Since I really value the elements of class and dignity, it mortified me. To think that I might look sleazy! Words could not express my shame, and the boots were tossed. I dreaded ever attracting that sort of attention, and took steps to avoid any manner of dress that may directly OR inadvertently send the wrong message.
It’s been a long time, and though I envy the girls who pull off boots, I have been ever so fearful of wearing them myself. So it was with all the courage I could muster that I grabbed those shiny knee-high boots off the shelf this week, paid out the dough, and prayed they would get more than a few wearings before I get mortified again. Tentatively, they have survived a day at the office (but I confess I have a backup pair of heels in the car) and no one yet has screamed, “Oh my gawd!” or whispered in my vicinity enough to make me self-conscious. Maybe the curse of the crude DD van man is finally broken.

ZAP

That might have been the sound my television made at 2AM on thursday before it died a not-so-glorious death. I'm not exactly sure because I was too busy huddled on the floor in the center of my living room with a frightened infant and a cowering dog trying to climb into my lap at the same time. We had a freak lightning storm that night, which knocked out the power at our house, and filled it instead with creepy flashes of light.
At that moment it occured to me that "The Nightmare Before Christmas" type of halloween decorations we had picked up at HomeGoods were not the best choice.
Things I enjoyed during a weekend of no TV:
Depending on the good ol' radio for ambient noise
Staying up late for stimulating conversation rather than late night comedy
Facing the other people in the room with you, rather than straight ahead at the tube
I'm also brainstorming a little knitting project-nothing has quite grabbed me yet for my next project, so I'm going to play with some gorgeous sportweight from Foxfire in "Russian Sage." The idea forming in my mind is some kind of fitted croppy vesty thingie. We'll see how it turns out. The handpaint is just beautiful, and feel fantastic to knit with. How spoiled I am!

I also whipped up a toddler hat for the winter in Blue Sky cotton. There's just one problem; I can't get him to leave it on his head. Not even long enough to nab a photograph!


So tonight I've been thinking about things-happy thoughts really. Mostly. Because other than almost always having an immediate family member situated in a COMBAT ZONE, I'm pretty fortunate. Life is good. I love my life, my husband, my silly child. I have amazing family and friends. My job kicks ass. My mother and father have an unending supply of 'moo' for us. Heehee. In general, health, no wealth, but plenty of blessings. Yet, I know a few people who have similar lives who consider themselves not so lucky. It just amazes me, but even worse, pisses me the hell off. So I'm going to blow off some steam today. I mean, honestly, the nearest men in my life have gone to war, lived in intolerable heat and other conditions, worked the most challenging hours, and lived over A YEAR away from the ones they loved, and I don't EVER remember hearing them complain as much as some of the spoiled, self-absorbed people I talk to day-to-day.
Okay, I just deleted about four paragraphs worth of venting-believe me. The point is-well there is no point. Just thank God for what you do have. If you are sick or suffering, my heart goes out to you. But if you have health and someone who loves you, just thank your lucky stars. I have worked for people in worse situations. And even though I'm working in a new area entirely, I can't stop thinking about those people I used to work for. Just can't shake it. Then to hear able-bodied people complain about fatigue and sound generally miserable. Well, I guess tonight is my 'just deal with it' post. Does anyone else ever get irked like this?

Seasonal
Just look at those baby blues.....they might even cure me of my blues. Hopefully.

Stylin'
I can't believe a month has passed.So much has happened-LBB is crawling, smiling, laughing, playing with toy trucks, I'm working full time at a fantastic new firm, the Fall is here, with its beautiful crisp nights, and last night was a wedding we had anxiously awaited all summer long. It was by far one of the most stressful weddings I have ever heard of, although I wasn't one of the people affected by it. When all is said and done, I sincerely hope the bride and groom were pleased, because it turned out to be a beautiful affair.
That being said, I must admit that stretching these wedding nights out for as long and for as much enjoyment as possible is an art form practiced by my hunny, so we mosied over to the nearby wine bar to meet up with some friends and recap the events of the evening. After all, three hours in the stylists chair that morning was not going to be wasted by going to bed early! I felt absolutely gorgeous, tipsy, and ready to sip something better than the cheap-o merlot I had been downing all night, and nibble on bruschetta and olives. All in all, a perfect night.
And of course, I have some progress to report on my projects. The Geordie vest is being finished off, I cast on a simple winter hat for LBB this week, and finally am working on the hoodie for his endlessly cabled Christmas s

weater. And since the little pumpkin has just undergone a growth spurt and shot up to a size 12, I might be just in the nick of time to complete it. Maybe if you could throw a little encouragement my way, I might be spurred on enough to complete those last few rows....help me!

The Angry Eggplant

Upon returning home, I self-medicated with two episodes of What Not to Wear on TLC and went to bed, feeling much better. 

Mid-Summer Ramble



Down on the Farm


She Who Was Formerly Blogless



Six Painted Toes

Where was I? Oh, summer. The time for...
weddings.
I love them. I love brides, centerpieces, bouquets, you name it. What I don't like? Picking out something to wear, mucking with my hair, shoes, and the like. My favorite wedding hands-down was held on a remote island in Maine, where we danced the night away on the beach in summer clothes and bare feet. Kicked ass.
So halfway to this latest wedding I realized my new momy status had resulted in horribly neglected toes. We quickly stopped at CVS, and in the car I hastily laquered my chipped toenails. The three that were visible in my open-toed heels.
A few days later, we were sunning our buns on York Beach in Maine, laughing at my six painted toes.
I am sooo lazy.
(I have also included the crime-scene photographs from the reception. One sugar-coated bride and groom disappeared suddenly friday night. Their whereabouts are presently unknown.)

Knitting with Pigtails
thrilled to hear them play Adagio for Strings by S. Barber, one of my favorite pieces of all time.)Scout was beside himself with the noise, so we were happy to stay home and comfort him as well.
On another note, one of my most beloved is having an echocardiogram today, which had me thinking on the way into work today. Why do we put so much pressure on the powers of the heart? We credit love, passion, hate and all sorts of emotional currents on this one organ, and I don't understand why. The heart is the strongest muscle in the human body, and for the most part, is the most dependable, unflinching piece of human machinery there is.
So why do we credit, or blame I should say, the mostly flimsy of human emotions on this part of ourselves? Why not blame love on the eyes, that draw conclusions so quickly? Or perhaps on our lungs, which seem to stop and shudder when we feel desire? But no, we look to the heart, the engine that just pump pump pumps away. I find nothing related to human passions when I think of cardiology, except perhaps from the rushing of one's blood when we are excited by anger or adoration. But that's blood. And when it is felt, it is felt throughout our entire being. Not just in the center of our chest. Hmm.
When I think of my heart, I feel more of the perfection of the human body as a whole, the symphony of organs and how they function together so perfectly. The heart is the engine, which makes the thought of it failing so frightening to me. But I certainly don't connect it with the feelings of love, hate, and passion. These are our imperfections. And the differences and weaknesses in ourselves that stop life from being just a stream of processes, day in, and day out. Emotions cause jarring changes and pauses in the pattern of life, changes in direction, and then perhaps a reason to live altogether. The heart beats incessantly whether or not we fall in love, fall out of love, or have unrequited love.

When the cat's away, the mice shall play

So we live in a lovely neighborhood. Really. Our neighbors are all wonderful, considerate, and respect our privacy. However (and it is a big however) it is a very small neighborhood. I don't mind this, since it makes me feel watched over, safe, and a little protected. But not much of our comings and goings escapes our neighbors. One in particular has a great deal of time on her hands, and has created a great many theories about the families on all sides of us. Tales of abuse, love affairs, and crime. I find it all really interesting and humorous really. I can only imagine what is said about us!
But my husband had a visit from this particular person while I was out 'n about. Now I had warned him, but he got quite the earful. It could have something to do with her rambunctious 23 year old son setting off fireworks in the street last week. Perhaps she came over to throw up a smokescreen... sure if we are preoccupied with that story about the time the SWAT team raided our neighbors house, this little offense might not seem so bad...

But i digress...
My point today is that I'm grateful- it may seem almost intrusive when my neighbors mention anything about the hours we keep, or the sounds we make (must remember to close some of those windows). But I've learned to appreciate these things. Its far better living alongside people who have an inerest in us-I would never want to live in the city, where your neighbors barely know your name, or simply don't need to.
Its nice to know the people who live alongside you would perhaps worry if they saw no sign of life coming from your home that day. Or might notice any sign of distress in the middle of the night. Its funny to think, but many of my friends would not notice for weeks if I disappeared. But my neighbors would.
Now if their grown kids would just move out, I would be so much happier...

My Little Blob
It is so funny how unblobby he has become lately. In fact, he's getting so darn good at amusing himself that I am quickly running out of excuses for not knitting. The best reason at this time is that he is in the habit of grabbing anything nearby and coating it immediately with baby slime.He's also a magnet for anything and everything furry, which clings to his little chin like whickers, so my favorite fuzzy alpaca blends are not a good selection at this time. Nonetheless, while I may not be entering anything fabulous at the upcoming fairs this summer, I really look forward to seeing what everyone else submits.
On a different topic, shall we say 'scatterbrain,' for the umpteenth time this year, I have walked into work and realized that I put on the wrong color pants. In the dark this morning, I thought I was matching brown on brown. One hour, a cup of MaryLou's, and some neon lighting later I see the pants are black. The shoes are brown. Oh mercy.

To the Zoo

Ever wonder how many kinds of animal fur can be spun? This question was posed at least once or twice last week. With giraffe, bison, longhorn, camels; you name it. So I'm just throwing that in so there is at least something knit-related on here.









