Guess what??

Felted/drying

Panes pre-felting

So forgetful!

I forgot to post about my weekend!! I had planned on a stay at home, hang around the house weekend. I should know better! Started out bright and early Sat. morning at Heather's market~~hung around and helped her out until 2:30 or so~~got home after 3 and KK calls. He has free tickets to the Bisons(Buffalo Baseball) game for Sunday.
hmmm, baseball or Garden Walk around the city?? No question in my mind~~I'm psyched for the walk!! Weird, me walking blocks in the city, in the heat!!
So, ok Garden Walk it is and maybe the game if we get done quick. OK~~fine. Sat. night we'll kick back toss down a couple cocktails light a fire in the outdoor fireplace~~sounds good but not meant to be!! KK calls again~~"how about going to the Guess Who concert tonight?" Oh, no~~I know immediately what this means~~
free concert in the park = mammoth crowds!! Hate it~~
We get there and have to use the cell to find our friends!! It's so loud I can barely hear on the phone to find the meeting place!! Finally we're together and we lucked out and got seats at a picnic table~~yeah, for us!! Now the trick is trying to get some drinks~~have to go in line for tickets, then get in another line for what you want. We guard the seats and KK goes on a beer run~~30 minutes later he's back and those beers are looking mighty good!! Did I mention it was HOT??
The opening group was ok but when the Guess Who came on the crowd went wild!! And I must admit after two beers I joined right in!! Great going to a concert where you actually recognize the songs!! lol~~
After fighting our way out of there I really needed food so we stopped at the
Ship n' Shore a bar we stop in at occasionally. I had great wings ~~hit the spot!
Got home took the dogs out and jumped into bed at 1:30. I wake up at 4:30 with the worst head/neckache coming on. Have to get up and take a Darvect~~not thinking cause I'm half a sleep I pop the whole thing! Not good!! I figured I'd be ok since I was just going right back to bed. Wake up at 9~~have to get up to be at DD's by 10:30 for the walk. I'm feeling kinda??ok?? Not really sure. Managed to get going and we're just about at DD's when I know I'm sick! The motion of the car finished me!OH,no!!! I wannna go for the walk!!! I sit a bit and feel ok so we all leave. Find a street to park on and start walking~~maybe I got 20 steps from the car and I knew this wasn't going to happen! It was so hot and my stomach was in knots~~I tell them to go and I'll sit in the car. DD says "make sure you lock the doors" huh??? I'm going to sit in the car with the windows wide open to get some air and I should lock the doors??? ok~~I'm just about asleep when they call me to see how I'm doing and to tell me how great the gardens are~~I'm so annoyed. I drive the car the few blocks to where they are and they're waving to me as I drive by trying to park! Well that little rest seemed to have settled everything so off we go!! The gardens were beautiful!! I was amazed that in Buffalo,NY you could have such wonderful grounds!
In the city no less~~I just couldn't believe the creativity of these people!
We spoke with one of the homeowners that had a pond that was like something out of a magazine. Tea foliage was unbelievable!! Not to mention the Koi~~I've
never seen Koi this large!! She said some were 15 years old! They winter in the pond in her basement!! Can you imagine???
KK and I really enjoyed the walk as did the rest of our group but our one complaint was we felt like coming home and tearing up our backyard!!
We stopped for a terrific lunch at Gabriell's Gate then Kk and I headed home.
I posted a couple photos that DD took~~there were some more nice ones but she didn't edit them and they are going in every direction!! lol~~
OTN~~Buttonhole Bag almost to the bottom. Hopefully all knitted and ready to felt by tomorrow night. This one's Heather's
then I'll start mine.
Off for tea and a bit of Harry Potter #4!!!

Just starting out~~not sure how I feel yet!

Lily's

One of many!

Sunday's Walk

Tagged

I've been tagged!!!This is my first official tagging and it's by wacky
Lynn! After going to the link you'll understand !!
This is not easy~~I've been thinking about it for a couple days before posting my reply. 5?? Only 5??? hmmm, see what I mean ~~not easy!


id·i·o·syn·cra·sy

Pronunciation Key: n. pl. id·i·o·syn·cra·sies - A structural or behavioral characteristic peculiar to an individual or group.


Write down five of your own personal idiosyncrasies. Then, if you wish, tag five people to do the same.

1. When I start something I become so obsessed with it I can't think of anything else!

2. I have pets~~3 dogs~~dogs drool when it's hot~~it's been very,very hot~~ I hate drool spots on my Pergo floor!

3. Smells bother me~~bought a pre-owned van and I Febrezed the inside so much I had to ride with the windows open in the freezing cold to get rid of the Febreze smell!!

4. Things have to be picked up around the house. I hate "stuff" lying around~~course my craft room doesn't count!

5. Eat dinner fast so I can clean up the mess!!

There, I guess that will do? Now who should I tag??? I think I'll start with
Heather I know she'll thank me!!
How about Dani this wil give her something to think about other than knitting since knitting is a "no-no" right now.
Finished my shawl yesterday now I'm waiting for the lys to get me the assortment of yarns for the fringe. Won't get to that until next week. Can't decide what I want to do next. It's so hot/humid again it's hard to think about knitting!
Maybe I'll start a bag??
I joined Bookcrossing yesterday~~you should check it our if you are a reader. It's basically a way of recycling books. Your released book is tracked and you can see where it winds up. This morning I captured my first book~~hard sneaking up on them!!
Knit night Thursday so I have to have something to work on!
Off to check the stash!

What title??

I hate those titles!! I waste more time trying to think one up when I could be getting my post done!
I've been rather crabby the last few days and I'm not exactly sure why? I can't blame it on the weather because it's been much nicer. The temp. has gone down a bit and the humidity is finally gone. You can actually move without everything sticking to you. That was so gross!! Right now I'm thinking if I weren't so lazy I'd get up and close the window because the air coming in is chilly!! How nice!! I even had my slippers on last night!
I have been trying to get some cleaning done while we have this reprieve in temp~~my room is looking much better. I can actually see the counter again~~I almost forgot what color it was! I've made quite a dent in the chaos!!
I really have waaaayyy too much "stuff"~~don't know if I'll ever use it anymore. I haven't touched rubber stamping in months and there's bins full of supplies! Don't remember buying all those beading things either but there it is! Fabric??? I swear it multiples by itself when you're not looking! It's almost as bad as yarn ~~not quite~~we won't even go there!
On a better note I've made progress on my first shawl. It's out of that wonderful Schafer Marjaana yarn that I debated over for weeks! It's 50% wool and 50% tussah silk.I just realized the color is Hermione~~isn't she Harry Potter's good friend??
This yarn is called Kolor Koncept for Kids~~wonder if that's who it's named after? I'll have to tell DD about that! Anyway it's coming along nicely~~I need 40" and I've got 30 something now. It's an easy knit for sure~~the pattern is just on the edges and the center is plain garter. I'm thinking that it will need to be blocked~~that should be interesting!
I mentioned another new project and if you scroll down you'll see what I've been up to. I needed a size 10 1/2 and of course didn't have it so I thought I'd try to make some. Once I started I couldn't stop! I made some Black Walnut and some Oak~~I think they turned out pretty good. Not difficult but a bit time consuming~~two coats of stain and then three coats of paste wax. Buffing is pretty mindless except you must be careful not to stab yourself~~never mind you don't need the details~~just take my word for it. I've decided I need some 13's so they're next!
I did one smaller pair and tried to do a decorative top but I'm not happy with the way that turned out. If anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them.
Finished HP's books one and two and a couple chapters into three. I was surprised how much I'm enjoying them~~I didn't expect to actually like them! DD will be so happy that I'm reading them!
Off to read!

The inspector!

Schafer 50%Merino Wool 50% Tussah Silk

Ok, last one!

Steiff Ophelia helping out!

Black Walnut and Oak Needles

Must read!!

Busy, Busy!!

This is the first chance I've had to get here since Friday! How come you have absolutely nothing to do and then everything to do all at once??? Crazy!!
I did errands all Friday morning and then came home to a package from my SP5!!! What fun she made it to open! There was a customs slip on the outside of the box but she warned me not to look if I wanted to be surprised so I didn't!! Ripped that box open and what do I find inside??? She wrapped everything!! What fun to open~~I have to remember that for my Sp~(I didn't wrap the goodies) anyway I opened the wrapping and to my surprise there was still more wrapping!! Talk about suspense!! There was the cutest card of a Boston pup~~and Yes, Sp your eyes weren't deceiving you it is a Boston! There was the cutest pear shaped candle which is going right on my craft room table. A box of chocolates that so far I've resisted~~but today is the day! Lavender bath tea that I'm going to try tonight and some foot scrub that I definitely can use!! Then the most Gorgeous Merino wool yarn!!!! The colors are so perfect for me!! I couldn't have picked anything better myself! I'm thinking I need to cast on some socks for me immediately!!!!
Secret Pal you did the most wonderful job of spoiling me and I thank you so much!!!
If you were in front of me I'd lay a big hug on ya!!! You're the best!!
If you scroll down a bit you all should be able to see the photos of my goods and I know you'll agree she did a great job! There too is the ankle bracelet that my good friend Heather made for me! Isn't it kewl??
We had a busy weekend~~I went to the market and helped out until later Sat. afternoon and we were fairly busy. Got home about 4 or so and then DD was here a bit after 5. We had an appointment to go pick up field stones for her garden. We had to drive about a half hour to get there and then load them up. Someone was clearing out an area that they wanted to plant so they offered up these stones free for the taking. DD was thrilled to get them. Then we scooted back here and cooked dogs and corn on the grill~~cleaned up from that and then headed over to friends for a evening around the fire and drinks. We were there quite awhile when someone suggested we run over to the pub down the street so off we went. Played darts and the bowling game and then noticed it was almost 3:30!! What were we thinking???
Got home at 4:15 and had to take the dogs out!! Finally hit the bed about 4:40 and felt like I just fell asleep when I hear Sophie crying! It was time for her to go out at 7:15!!! Oh, no!!! Took care of them and then went straight back to bed!!
KK and I moped around for a bit then decided to go out for lunch~~rain was coming so we didn't feel like doing much outside. We had a buffet lunch and then went to the show and saw "The Island" ~~that was interesting! My biggest problem was trying to keep my eyes open!! I caught myself dosing off!! lol~~~
We got home and cleaned out the shed~~that was a good thing done!
Today is beautiful outside!! Sunny and not too warm or humid. I think I'll get out and do some reading! Maybe I'll just have to cast on some socks with my new yarn~~how can I resist???
Off to read and knit!!

Wow!!!

What can it be???

All wrapped up!

Prezzie from SP5!!!

Perfect Fit!

Ankle bracelet made just for me!!

Twice in One Day!

You'd think I'd have something better to do than sit at this computer wouldn't ya??
Actually KK and I just got home from Canada~~it was sooo nice today we took the day and enjoyed it!
A customer of his surprised him with a GC to local restaurant and we are going to use it tonight! We're just waiting to see if DS stops over then he can come with us.
I wanted to say "thanks" to those that wrote me about Ivy~~I appreciate the comments. Took her to the vet and he did some blood work and for the most part it was normal~~it did show an infection so she's on Baytril for 14 days. Other than that we are going to treat her normally and see how she does. She doesn't want her regular food but she will eat biscuits!! hmmm, wonder if she knows what she's doing?
She's still favoring her front leg this evening and she's a bit leary now about the stairs. We'll have to keep an eye on her and see what develops.
Thanks again for commenting!
Off to join Kk on the porch

Waaay too early

This is much too early for me to be posting! I'm on here trying to keep myself awake! I was up late last and then had a very fitful night. Yesterday was another hot and sticky day ~~I had some things to do in the morning and it was awful driving around with no a/c!! Kk says he is going to have it fixed~~when???
Anyway when I got home I took the dogs right out and I was walking around the back when I heard this noise so I looked up and Ivy (greyhound) looked like she tripped or fell. I watched her and she couldn't right herself for a minute and when she finally did she was walking in circles with her head listing to the left. She couldn't stop until I ran over and then she leaned very heavily against my legs. If I tried to move away she started circling again and she was very wobbly. Ds stopped in and he got her to lay down while I called the vet~~of course he wasn't in and they said to watch her(duh) and call back in a half hour. After a bit you could see she wasn't as bad but still not good. About 45 minutes after the initial start she was much better~~but still not normal. The vet assistant called me back and I'm talking her in this morning in a few minutes. They said it sounded like a seizure~~
She's much better this morning but she's not walking right on her right front foot. Makes me think of a person that has suffered a stroke. Dogs don't have strokes they tell me. We'll see~~
I was nervous all last evening so I couldn't concentrate on the orange sweater~~so I had to start something new!! The Schafer yarn was yelling to me so what could I do but start my shawl??? After a couple false starts I'm on my way! I manage to get a few inches done but already I can see the need for circulars! Doesn't it figure?? No circulars in #8's~~isn't that always the way?
I've got a new project to work on besides the knitting but I won't mention what it is until I see how it works out~~I should say if it works out!!
KK is off today and the weather is wonderful this morning! The humidity is gone!!! So maybe we will do something when I get back from the vet.
Gotta run~~~

Completely Disgusted!!

I'm annoyed!! Remember that really nice Noro I bought the other day on my outing? I love the color ~~did the bag~~worked up really,really quick! Putting it together was a pain! I'm not at all pleased with the way the gusset stitches look when all together. Now that it's sewn up I have to leave it because I don't have any more yarn to redo it if I wanted to! So, ok, I decide to live with it and I'll get a liner in~~nope that's not happening either! I found some fabric I really like and started the liner. My machine is shot~it refuses to sew more than a few stitches in a row before it acts up. I tried to get the liner in and then after ripping it out twice gave up! That's the reason I'm disgusted~~this should/could have been a FO!!
Damm~~double damm~~
It's soooo hot still~~we had a beaut of a storm yesterday afternoon and it did nothing for the humidity~~except maybe make it worse! Thank goodness we bought the a/c for the bedroom!
I've been working on the needlepunch and that looks great! I have one more section of border to do and it's finished. I think I may tea dye it when it's done and then have it framed.
Long hot day so~~
Off to shower

awwww, there she is~~just look at those ears!!

Sophie????

New Noro yarn for bag

Needle punch pattern!

Better photo! All ready filled,too!

"New" old oak commode!

Close-up of trunk~~all ready filled!

"New" old trunk w/new "old" ladder!

All wound and ready for a shawl!

Schaffer yarn before winding!

Show and Tell

Tired today~~really tired so I thought I'd just post some photos! I mentioned that I've been cleaning and organizing "my room" and I'm going to prove it!!
You're only going to get to see half tho~~the clean half! I'm still working on the counter and that may take a while! I'm not even touching it today!
I'm going to try to finish a project later this evening and then I'll get a photo of that too. Just have to do a little bit of knitting and it will be done.
Started the needle punch this afternoon~~I love it!! Talk about a mindless project this is it! Once you get the hang of how to thread and hold the needle you're good to go! I think I'm going to like this because it can have that primitive look I like.
Going to sneak in a photo of Pepper, Heather's pup and see if she notices!!
So, I'm off to add some pictures for your viewing pleasure!!

OK We're Bad,Very Bad!!!

What fun was had today!! Girls day out~~enough said??? No?? Ok, I'll tell you what we did! My friend Heather and I planned this day a couple weeks ago. After starting out a bit later than planned we were on the road!! Made that sound like we were really taking a trip,huh?? We started out under cloudy skies that darkened as we went along~~we kept telling one another it was going to clear but as the first rain drops fell we thought "hmm, maybe not"! We weren't going to let a little rain stop us!
First stop was terrific!! We hit this little country shop we love and everything was on sale!! Big trouble there!!! I found the cutest lamp shade for the lamp KK bought me at Antique World last weekend~~I was happy because that was on my "to get" list. This shop has the greatest country decorations~~somewhat primitive but not too much so. She was working on a small needle punch sampler that was adorable!!
I've wanted to try this forever but couldn't find needle/patterns etc. So of course I had to get what I needed to try one. I choose a pattern with a sheep on it~~not too much detail so I figured it would be good to learn on. I can't wait to try it!!
Heather got some really nice fabrics for a rag rug~~which I'm going to show her how to do!
Next stop was lunch~~use a lot of energy with all this shopping! While we're in the diner it starts pouring~~~buckets!! Nasty!! We're blocks away from the car!
Needless to say we got drenched but it was worth it!
Turned on the heat to dry our clothes and feet! Off we went to another shop but really didn't find anything there~~which was a good thing~~more $$ for the yarn shop!!
There was so much traffic we were starting to get worried that we might not make it before the shop closed! Finally we get there and had about 45 minutes before closing.
Fridays in the summer they close an hour earlier! They had some beautiful Lorna Laces yarn and Kouigu(sp?). I picked up some circulars I needed. I saw the cutest bag and decided I have to have it!! It's little and plain but the yarn is something I've never worked with. Course now I can't recall what it is and I'm too lazy to walk upstairs to look. I'll get some photos tomorrow and show you.They give you the pattern so that was good. As we're at the register I asked the woman if we were earlier would she have been able to wind our Shaffer skeins for us? She says "no problem, I'll do it!" Now it's past closing but she said she didn't mind. Thank goodness she did that~~those skeins are huge!! They were so big she couldn't wind the whole thing on the ball winder!! That was so nice of her!! So if you're ever in the Rochester,NY area you must stop at Spirit Work on Titus Ave!
After lugging our loot to the car we were off for home! I confess, we stopped again at the shop we were in earlier! The owner cracked up when she saw us walk in!
So a fun day despite the rain! KK said it never rained here at home but was dreary all day. The temp. has certainly dropped the last couple hours.
I'm going to go up and look at my "goodies" again and then soak in a hot bath!
A snack sounds good too~~~
Off to find some muchies

Lighthouse Niagara River

KK&DS hanging out!

DS & I

Feeling Brave!

DD encouraging me!

Happy Fourth!!

We had the most wonderful 4th!!! The plan was to have everyone over for a cook out~~this time we were positive we would have great weather! It's been hot and sunny for the past few days so the cook out was a go~~
Saturday night as I'm making the potato salad(which I hate to make)) DD calls~~not a good sign. She starts out with "would you mind?" and I know somethings up! She says since it's going to be soooo hot tomorrow(4th) would you mind if all of us didn't come over??? but instead we go out on the boat???? Would I mind????? Does a bear
*&%t in the woods???? Silly girl!!! Actually it was a good question if you knew me well~~I don't do water~~or boats~~pools~~it's all the splashing,rolling,waves,water thing~~ewwww~~. I mean I really,really am terrified of H20 unless it's in a glass and I don't even drink it if I can help it!!
Anyway I digress~~I decided it was a good day to give it a try~~so I said "sure".There was dead silence on the other end of the phone~~I think DD was cleaning out her ears ~~she wasn't sure she heard right!!
Anyway we all met up Sunday and off we went~~I can't say that I was entirely relaxed but I have to admit it was awesome!! We went out on the Niagara River!! Now you that aren't familiar with out area ~~this leads right to Niagara Falls!! Yes, I do mean the Niagara Falls~~one of the biggest tourist attractions in the US. Bear that in mind when I say that I actually went in the water!!!! Course they slapped a life jacket on me that would hold up a 300lb person!! Hey, works for me!! Took me awhile to actually let go of the ladder to the boat~~very odd feeling knowing that you're in 20 or more feet of water with your feet dangling under you ~~haven't quite made up my mind if I would/could do it again! At least I did it!! Ok, I admit to panicking once~~the floaty thing they all swore would hold me up~~didn't~~never mind that I had my life jacket on I still panicked until I remembered the jacket~~oh,duh!!
Later we came back in and went to DD's and cooked out and then headed back to the boat for fireworks! It was fantastic to be out on the water at night and watch the display!! They set them off right in front of us~~it was the best I have ever seen~~and heard! The sound was echoing off the water~~it was deafening!! So kewl!!!
Just as we were dropping off DS at his apartment around midnight the storm hit! What a downpour and what perfect timing!
So today KK and I are both exhausted!! I sat in my bedroom with the a/c on and knitted. New project~~can't say until I see how it looks! Pictures will come if it turns out ok.
Still working on the orange cardi~~pieces are almost done!! Not sure if I'll get it together myself~~may need help with that!
Off to make some dinner!!

Hot,Hot,Hot

That title just about covers it!! It's been a bit too warm to do much of anything!
I'm so grateful that we bought the a/c for our bedroom so we can at least get some sleep. I like the heat because I do feel better when it's warm but this is getting a bit ridiculous!! It's been in the 90's and very humid~~humid is not nice~~it's nasty!!
I guess I'm over being sorry for myself~~I think~~it doesn't help anything and only makes me depressed~~so enough!! It could be worse and who knows it may be a long time before this RA effects me so that it interferes with things I really like to do. Hey, if it takes me longer to do housework~~who cares??? It'll be there when I get to it and if I really need a hand KK will help I'm sure.
So for the past couple days I've spent some time sitting in my bedroom knitting on the orange sweater~~I'm on the front now with only the other side to do and then I'll have to see if I can figure out how to do all the edging. If I can't I'll beg Lynne to help me!
I've suddenly got the urge to do a bag! Not a felted one either!! That's very weird for me. I found a pattern for a drawstring bag that I really like and thought it would be cute for summer. Guess I'd better get to it if I want it this season! I saw some nice cotton yarns that would work well for it. I may have to stop in the LYS and pick some up!
I haven't heard from my SP5 in awhile~~hope all is well with you? I miss your emails!
Speaking of SP5 I need to get to the PO and get a package out.
I've been cleaning up my room, finally! You can actually get to the futon to sit without tripping on something! Getting some of my "stash" organized so I can see what I have. I'm going to get an old trunk from my friend Heather's dh to keep a lot of it in. That will make it so nice and easy to keep it cleaned up.
When I get everything finished I'll post a photo~~it may be awhile if this heat keeps up!
Sophie is doing so good it amazes me! I don't remember ever having a puppy that learns this fast. She hasn't had an accident in days and I no longer put papers down for her. I am curious as to how much she weighs because she is feeling heavy to me when I carry her now.
Nothing much else going on so~~
Off to take a cool bath

Ok so I'm

being a bit of a baby here~~my test results came back finally and I'm anything but pleased. For the past five years or so my Doc. was convinced that I have Lupus. He really felt that it would just be a matter of time before it finally manifested itself so it would show up through some blood work. After going in last week with a rash on my face after being in the sun he was convinced more than ever! So, off for blood work I went with the idea in my head that finally there was a more conclusive diagnosis then Fibro. Seems that Fibro covers a multitude of symptoms.
Today I go the results and it's not Lupus~~which is a good thing but instead I have RA otherwise known as Rheumatoid Arthritis which is not a good thing. This is what's causing all the pain throughout my body. When I told him about my hands really bothering me he suspected the outcome but he didn't say anything. When I asked which would have been better the RA or Lupus he said he was hoping for Lupus.
It doesn't do the damage to the joints that RA can do. So now the next step is seeing the specialist. Which may take weeks to get in~~
I don't have a good track record for taking medication and I think that is my main concern at this point. This has to be controlled~~I can no longer sluff it off~~
I will be taking medication~~like it or not!
So I can't decide my mood~~anxious,fidgety,crabby,depressed?? Maybe all four!
Yesterday there was no stopping me~~I was on a roll~~cleaned,did laundry,gardened,read and knitted~~all in one day! Today~~nothing~
I asked the Doc. about the knitting and on a good note he said that's great! Anything that keeps my hands working is good!! As long as I'm comfortable! Does that mean I should get more yarn????? hmmmm, works for me~~~~
OK,sorry for the crappy post tomorrow's will be happier!!
Off to sit outside awhile~~~

How come sometimes doing the "right" thing can make you feel kinda bad at the same time?? As some of you know I have parrots~~four of them and they were becoming too much for me to take care of. I've been toying with the idea of selling one or two for a while. I casually mentioned it to a friend quite awhile ago and never gave it another thought. Well, she called me and said she had a person interested in one! My stomach did a flip flop thing and then I came to my senses and said "sure give her my number". We made arrangements for her to come over and "meet" Max the grey this afternoon. It was love at first sight~~at least on her part~~not so sure about Max. Five minutes in the bird room and I knew she wanted him! He did some talking while she was here which was a good sign and he came out of his cage and walked around on top. He didn't seem anxious with a stranger in his room so that was good. We did our business and then it was time to pack everything up~~what a job. How can such a little bundle of feathers have so much stuff??? Can you say "spoiled"? Finally got the cage out of the house which was no easy task and to her car. One look and we both knew there was absolutely no way that cage was going in that car!! What a pain!!
Since Max was already in the crate we decided rather than stress him out more she would take him and a table top parrot cage I keep for emergencies. She lives a couple hours away from me and now she has to come back Monday with a truck to pick up his "real" cage.
I was so busy after she left trying to get a surprise Lasagna dinner together for KK that I didn't have much time to think about anything!The weather is still very cool so I thought it would be a nice "Father's Day" dinner. It turned out really good suprisingly enough! I hate cooking with a passion but I do make a decent lasagna when the mood strikes~~which is about once a year! So we had lasagna,garlic toast,salad and later fresh strawberry shortcake!! Really good~~I mean really good!
I chased Kk outside with the dogs while I cleaned up the kitchen and then a much needed hot bath! I got to spend the earlier part of the day with my friend Heather at her market and played with the plants! After a day playing in the dirt and then taking that cage apart take my word for it~~the bath was a necessity!!
My whole point of this rambling was to say that I felt really bad when I went in the bird room and Max's spot was empty. The Macaws were just sitting there looking at me making me feel guilty! The Amazon was even quiet which is not normal~~probably thinking he better watch his step!!
Max's new "mom" just wrote to me saying he was talking,eating and flinging his water! He was fine! Figures!!
I am glad and I think they will really enjoy each other but he could have at least pretended he was a little upset~~after all I hand-fed him!!
Off for tea~~~

Bottle Swap goodies!

Frogged !! Look of sympathy!

Perfectly good Loooonnngggg sleeves!

Depressing Knit Night???

Now you ask why is knit night depressing??? Remember a few posts back me saying I'm going to get those orange sleeves done??? I did and I shouldn't have and to make matters worse I did both of them!! I dragged them along to knit night at Lynn's to compare them to her sweater that's finished. They are waaaayyyy too long!! I could sew them up and I would have hand warmers knit right into my sleeves! How annoying is that??? And I thought I was so smart getting them out of the way first!
My first reaction was to put the whole thing away~~if I did that it would never see the light of day again so I thought that probably wasn't the best idea.
Yesterday afternoon I yanked them out of my bag and started frogging~~it was painful!
Very painful~~~
After fiddling around with it a bit I wound up shortening the length about three inches! So now I'm rekniting sleeve one. A couple more decreases and it will be finished and then on to number two. I did start the back and I'm almost through the bottom ribbing.
I've decided I'd like to do a tank top~~no sleeves!! Maybe that is something I could get done in time to actually use this summer!! I just need a pattern!
A surprise was waiting for me when I got home today! My bottle swap came~~
Michelle in MN. had me. I received some awesome lime green cotton yarn that I've never seen before. I think it would make some really nice summer socks but I'm not sure if it's ok to use for socks? She also sent a really nice shade of yellow that's a cotton/lycra blend that I'd like for socks too.
Weather is still cold/cool. It's only in the 60's and after last week it feels cold to me! Figures, I finally broke down and bought a pair of shorts and since then it's too cold to wear them!
I'm still waiting for the results of all my blood work. When I called the Dr's office they said the new policy is you have to make an app. to get the results from any tests! What a crock! So I have to wait until Tuesday to get the verdict.
Jumping off to make dinner and work on "the sleeve" until KK gets home.
Off to post pictures~~~

I've had enough

Catchy title,huh??? It's this weather!!! We here in western NY can take the cold~~we're used to it, we're a tough bunch but this heat is a whole nother thing!
It's way tooo much!! It's been over the 100 mark and at that point I lost my sense of humor! It's hot, and to make it worse it's now muggy!! Temp. is not that high today(yet) but it's going up as I write this!
I chased the dogs out in the back yard this morning before leaving for a doctors app. thinking they will be cooler in the shade then in their crates. I get almost to the doctors and it starts raining~it lasted for about three minutes! So, maybe the dogs got a bit of a shower while they were out there if so it probably felt good!
Sophie is growing so fast! Vet visit last Friday and she's tipping the scales at 6.4 lbs! That's almost two pounds since her last visit. She's doing great! Her ears are all most totally upright! At the moment they go up and at the tip they curl back! That's actually a good sign ~~means they are just about ready to straighten.
KK and I took her out with us yesterday and we stopped for an ice cream~~she got her first baby dish of Vanilla. She wasn't too sure about it the first lick but after that she dove right in!
Let's see~~~what else has happened since I've been here??? hmmm, oh yes, after living in this house for 29 years with no a/c we finally broke down and bought a window ac for our bedroom!! Thank you Home Depot!! It's wonderful to be able to get some sleep again! The only problem with it so far is I can't get Ivy(greyhound) and Houston(shih tzu) to come out of our room! Did I mention they are a bit spoiled??
KK also finally made a decision on a grill. We've been looking since they first came out this season. I said "that's it,decide!" and we now have a new grill on the deck!
It was so nice to have DS over last week~~he put in the ac. which was a bit more of a job then they lead you to believe and he also put the grill together! That was so nice for KK not to have to do either one! He was very grateful~~he got out of work late and there was a nice cool room!
I haven't worked on the deck in days~~either too hot,running errands,or it's threatening rain. I just may try to do some now~~I'll at least give it some thought!
I picked up some more plants to do~~yeah, I know I said I was done but how can you resist? I really enjoy them~~inside and out. I got some really nice looking herbs I'm going to put out on the deck off the kitchen~~I should do that today. I think I need more pots tho~~
Finished my second sweater sleeve and did cast on the back last night. Later I'm going to sit in the bedroom and work on it. That's the only knitting I've done! Knit night at Lynn's Wed. and I hope I can make it~~that's motivation!
I received a goodie from my SP~~the other day! The cutest note cards with a sweater and a ball of yarn with knitting needles on the front! I've never seen these~~thank you so much!! I'll get a photo later!!
Have a great day everyone and stay cool!
Off to plant~~

Sophie exploring new crate!

Full size bronze statues in museum

Original meeting house wall, Seneca Falls,NY

Hot Hot Hot!!!

Believe me I'm not complaining but it's been really ~~HOT!!! At the risk of incurring the rath of the rain Gods I'm going to say again "it's been HOT!" whew~~when you're not used to it it seems to drain all your energy and when you don't have much to start with you're really in big trouble!! It's been so nice that I'm actually dragging my butt out of bed in the morning fairly early~~don't even start rolling your eyes out there~~~8 a.m. IS the crack of dawn!!! When you're up half the night the morning comes way too soon!!
I had a wonderful day Saturday!! Spent the day with the "girls"! Had to be at DD's by 8:30 (yes, I do mean a.m.)to meet up with everyone. We were off~~first stop Tim Horton's for our much needed caffeine and calories!! Jumped on the Thruway and we headed to Seneca Falls,NY. This is where Susan B Anthony fought for women's rights and where the right to vote was written. We had a nice breakfast sitting at a outside table and it was delicious! Then we walked the Main Street to the museum~~ very interesting ~~part of the original walls are left from the meeting hall. Photos coming~~
After that we walked the other side of the street and there were steps leading down to the water. Very pretty and there just happened to be an ice cream shop!! Of course we had to get something to keep up our strength for the shopping to come! It had gotten quite warm while we were in the museum so the treat hit the spot!
We went through all the shops in town and then headed to the outlet mall. Now whatever possessed them to build this mall in the middle of nowhere is beyond me! There was nothing around it but back roads and fields and a porn shop!!! hmmm, wonder what they do there for entertainment??? Maybe we don't want to know!
Anyway, it wasn't a mall more of a strip mall but it was big,really big~~waaayy to much shopping for my tired feet! Had nice stores and everyone found things they liked even me! I wasn't much in the mood for clothes shopping~~not working puts a damper on that clothes obsession. Now it's yarn and there weren't any yarn/craft shops! Had fun tho~after everyone was satisfied they got all the bargains they could stand we needed to eat! Nothing there but a couple fast food places that no one was interested in. We had to drive almost an hour to the next town for some good food! It was worth the wait tho~we found this great bar/cafe with outdoor seating and it was a beautiful night. Stuffed ourselves so much no one felt like driving home~~but unfortunately we had too. Back to DD's then I still had to drive home from there. I got back just as KK was getting ready to "hit the rack"~~it was midnight!! Talk about a long day~~I can't believe that I made it!! Great fun!!
It's taking me the last few days to recuperate!
No knitting~~tired and hot!! I have been doing some planting and was able to get more plants today from Heather .Tomorrow I'll get pots done up with those. Then I think I'm done!
Secret Pal~~thank you for the e-card and your concern. I'm here and I'll try not to be a BS'er (blog slacker) anymore!!
It's late so~~
Off to bed!

Party's Over!!

Thank goodness the party's over!! What a day we had!! Now we have been preparing for this darn party for over a week~~that's why I haven't been here. I've been staining the decks,weeding,mulching,planting planters,cleaning~~things I would have done anyway but not in such a small time span! Got it all done Saturday night after helping my friend at her market part of the day. It rained and was cold and windy~~cleared up right after I left!!
Rushed home after stopping at DD's to take care of her dogs to do my planters~~got them done right before it got dark. Kk and I went out to grab a bite to eat I could have fallen asleep waiting for my food!
Sunday morning I was afraid to look outside to see what the weather was~~but to my surprise the sun was shining and there was no wind!! I was thrilled~~we lucked out!!! Rain was predicted! Kk and I rushed around and got things ready ~~put out all the lawn chair cushions and I hung up some decorations I had. One o'clock was the magic time~~sun's till shining things are looking good~~1:15 rolls around I hear a car pull up and look out~~~first guest is here and there is a mammoth black cloud overhead!!! I can not believe what I'm seeing!!! As they are coming up the driveway it starts sprinkling!! It stops~~more people come and the wind picks up and it's a cold wind and the rain comes!! We're running around getting the chair cushions picked up~~in case it stops they'll be dry. In we all went~~I was so annoyed that I couldn't enjoy myself. I was so tired and then to have it rain was just too much!!
At least the food was plentiful and good~~everyone was joking about the weather but it was still very annoying! The rain stopped and we did get back out but it sure got chilly! That was a good excuse to get a fire going in the Chiminena (that spelling is waaay off~lol) everyone liked that! So despite the weather we ate and drank way too much!! Everyone left around 9:30 and by 10 I had my bath a cup of tea and was headed for bed! Talk about tired~~some party animal! I've decided it's more fun to go to a party at someone else's house!!
Get up this morning and the sun's shining away!! We cleaned up all morning and then Kk and I went out ~~did not feel like doing a darn thing in the house!
Stopped at DD's because she wanted us to see some gardening she got finished. She was so proud of herself! Nice when you see your kids happy and content!
Kk and I brought donuts and pop so we sat out side and they took a much needed break. As we're munching away along comes a huge black cloud and it starts sprinkling!! Maybe it's us???
We left and let them get back to work and we stopped at Barnes and Noble. That's always relaxing. Had my favorite cafe mocha with a shot of raspberry syrup and looked through some gardening books. I'd like to do up some more pots on my back deck. It gets a lot of sun and it's right off my kitchen so I go out there a lot. The decks are getting a bit old and worn looking even after staining them~~the plants make it look so much nicer. I keep a small table and two chairs out there where I like to have coffee and read. There's no roof so it's only for nice days~~and if it's real sunny sometimes it gets too hot to read or knit~~then I move to the yard. One good thing about sitting on the deck tho is there isn't usually any bugs to bother you!
No knitting today or tonight~~not in the mood and I'm tired so I'm going to read some emails and then get to bed early for a change!
Off for tea~~

SP 5

Thought I'd better get this on here since I just received my SP5 info~~so here's a bit about me!! You all can skip this~~SP please read~~lol~~

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
I have developed a taste for the nicer yarns and natural fibers. Tho I have done socks from Magic Stripes for gifts.


2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I can't truthfully say I spin even though I do have a couple drop spindles and a antique workable wheel.
I crochet once in a great while.


3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Smoke is nasty!


4. How long have you been knitting?
I was taught to knit when I was quite young so I'd have to say I've known how for a very loooonnggggggg time!!


5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
nope~~even tho there are lots of books I'd like!


6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
hmmm, I LOVE Sage and Citrus from Yankee Candle ~~Lavender and Lilac are favorites too.


7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Silly question~~chocolate of course!! light better than dark


8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
My other love is counted x-stitch~~primitive samplers, not cutesy


9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I've been into country lately~~I can play cd's



10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My best colors are fallish shades~~rusts,oranges,greens,browns,gold
I'm really liking orange ~~a lot!! Lime green is good too for summer!


11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
DH ~~just had our 36th anniversary! Grown DD and DS
Pets??? I'll say!!
Retired racing greyhound ~~Older Shih tzu~~and my new "baby" Boston Terrier
Two blue and gold macaws,african grey, yellow-nape Amazon
I think that covers it!


12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Right now I'm content when bills are paid,good food in the house,and time to knit,and nice yarn to do it!! A day that I feel well makes me happy!


13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Opal sock yarn is my new love! Lamb's Pride&Lopi are nice for felting~~Noro is nice too but I don't get that often


14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I'm not liking acrylics and I really don't like fun fur


15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
SOCKS!!! Altho I think it's time to branch out~~I'm actually trying a cotton sweater!
I'd like a shawl


16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I always go back to socks~~mostly plain with a patterned yarn. I like felted bags ~~want to do more


17. What are you knitting right now?
Orange sweater and a pair of socks for a friend


18. What do you think about ponchos?
Didn't like them the first time around and still don't!


19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Depends on the project~~I use both


20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Bamboo or plastic ~~I like either


21. Are you a sock knitter?
Most definitely!!


22. How did you learn to knit?
From my Mom when I was very young


23. How old is your oldest UFO?
hmm, a couple months~~a sweater I tried that requires more needles!!


24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
No favorite animated character ~~favorite animal would have to be Boston Terriers~~greyhounds

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas


26. Is there anything that you collect?
I'm starting to get some sheep things for my craft room~~country/primitive crows are multiplying in my living room!
Candles


27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None


28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I'd like the new Debbie McComber book A Good Yarn~~there is another that I can't think of the name of~~it's for knitter's ??? I'll try to find the name!!

I'm way beyond

exhausted!! Every bone and muscle aches~~even my hair hurts!! I stained one gallon's worth of the decks today and I've discovered parts I didn't know I had!! It was so nice out~quiet,sunny,warm and I really enjoyed being out there doing it but now I'm so achy!! Here I am covered in stain even in my hair dirty old mulch up to my elbows my jeans were soaked to the knees and I hear "hello" ~~I'm thinking "OH,NO, not company" ~~a friend stopped to say hello and say they'd be over Sunday. I was so embarrassed!! He was just out taking a cruise on his bike and rode by--I was so glad his wife wasn't with him then I would have had to ask them in for coffee or a drink!
Anyway I'm glad they'll make it to the "party".
Poor Sophie had to stay in most of the day~~there was no way I could watch her and try to paint~~I'd be chasing her all over the back yard! So after I soaked in a hot bath I took her out in the yard for a bit. She was running around like mad!! Sure different from the puppy I had a couple weeks ago!!
Needless to say no knitting got done today. Had the button bag outside drying. I did pick up some material to line it so maybe tomorrow I can work on that.
Going to knit a bit now on the Opal socks.
Off to knit

Hard working Man!

Finally a Sign Of Spring!

Sometimes you just need a quick project to give you a boost!! Yesterday I decided it was time to try the button hole bag that I've been thinking about! So last evening out came the Lamb's Pride and I was off!! Had errands to do this morning so I didn't get back to it until about 3 this afternoon and finished it up at 10 tonight. Now how could I possibly leave it until tomorrow to felt?? No way could I wait!! Two cycles through the wash and it was done! House reeks of wet wool but hey, it's done!!
I didn't have anything that would fit to block it so I wound up stuffing it with plastic bags and using bag clips to keep the handles nice.
One thing I figured out for future projects~~not all colors felt at the same rate. The Chianti felted rather quickly but the rose took longer. I had taken the bag out of the washer and brought it up to the sink to rinse real good with cold water through the sprayer when I realized it had to go back in. The handles were a bit loose compared to the body. So the second wash was necessary.
Now that's done I can go back and work on my sweater!!
Weather has been nasty again~~mid 50's was the high today but it rained on and off most of the day. Tomorrow is predicted to be somewhat better. I sure hope so ~~KK's day off.
Off to read emails~~

Felted and Drying!

Pre-felting

This has been another busy day! Kk and I got up early since it wasn't raining and went to Antique World~~which is really just another way of saying "flea market"! It was sunny but it was really chilly! When the sun hit you it was ok but the clouds were never ending! The breeze was cold! I felt sorry for some of the people that had tables under the trees~~it was darn right cold there! I don't see where it was worth staying for some of them. So much junk!!lol~~
Some times I really get into browsing but not today~~and it was my great idea to go!
Only good thing no $$ was spent! Oh wait, I lied~~I did find a charm for my Italian charm bracelet. I could not pass it up when I saw it had a Boston Terrier on it!! So that was the big buy of the day! We did talk with a couple that had two Bostons with them. One was huge!! It weighed 28 lbs!!! The other was 18~~and her name was Sophie too!! They said they were great dogs and were very happy with them.
When we were on the way home DS called so we picked him up and then picked up DGD. Wound up taking her out for the day. Stopped for lunch/dinner and then drove to the lake. She loved that~~throwing rocks was great fun! Came back here for a while so she could play with Sophie~~she likes her because Sophie is more her size!
I've been working a bit on my orange sleeve. They aren't going to be exactly the same!! I did the increases on the pearl rows on the first sleeve and I'm doing them on the knit this sleeve! Not quite sure how I managed that one! I don't think it will matter in the finished garment?
Kk fell asleep and DS is watching tv~~I hate to take him back to his apartment too early because he doesn't have cable hooked up yet for his tv~~he gets so bored!! Hopefully he'll be able to get it soon. He tried using an antenna but it wouldn't work and I said for $40 take the darn thing back!!
Breaks over~~
Off to knit!!

Happy Anniversary to Us!!

Today was interesting for sure!! You will never guess in a million years what we did this morning!! And don't be thinking that either!! This required a long drive and much courage on KK's part!! lol~~
We have this beautiful state park about an hour and a half from us~~we used to rent cabins there when the kids were young. We always enjoyed staying there even tho camping isn't exactly my thing! Anyway bright and early we headed out and KK wouldn't tell me where the heck we were going! After driving a bit I knew the route and wondered why we were going to the park again after just being there last week on his day off. Well surprise me he did!! I've been wanting to ride through the woods on horseback not that I'm any great rider but I've gone a few times and enjoyed it.
KK doesn't ~~~
We get got to the park and head right over to where the horses are and all the while I'm thinking this is weird! We got there just as they were unloading the horses from the trailer. There were quite a few babies !! The babies were all loose and wandered where ever they wanted! It was awesome!!
You must sign release forms that are pages long!! Made you wonder if you really wanted to do this! As you can see from the following photos we did!!
It was so great riding through the wood's~~four of us went. We are riding along and Misty's baby would come running up next to us and grab my pant leg!! We passed another group and we somehow picked up another colt!! It was so funny watching the two of them running together loose through the woods~~they were just like little puppies playing! We rode into a clearing where there were some deer and they paid us no mind~~just kept munching away!
We made it back safe and sound~~other than my knee didn't want to straighten when it was time to dismount we were fine!
After leaving that end of the park we went to the other end where they were having a Civil War battle. That was fun to watch. It was so interesting to see all the dresses. I loved them!! It was on the cool side today so they were comfortable in their outfits. Tents were set up and folks were cooking on open fires~~smelled sooo good!
We came back home to feed the dogs and now we are going back out for a bit. Going to get something for dinner and maybe do a bit of shopping. I need to return my broken knitting needle!! That's a must!
Off to change~~

hmmm, Who are they???

We're Off

KK ~~Do we really have to do this??

What's so funny???

Misty, Baby and I

Can I bring her home???