ISO German sock pattern::::

Has anybody seen this pattern? It's on the front of a german book, which, if I could only read german--sigh.

Somebody tell me that they've seen this pattern...I wish I'd have pulled the entire picture, but silly me...as usual, I figured I should be able to recreate the pattern.

Am I an idiot or what?

AH! Check it!

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/3772465676/ref=sib_rdr_dp

Alright. I want this book/workshop dvd, whatever it is, I want to make those socks.

Am I obsessing????

Yes. Somebody help me figure out how to make these socks!

Editor's edits: I have looked on Ravelry with any link relating to "socken", but while I've found lots of pretty socks, this one is no where to be found....(cry!).

St. Andrews Cancelled

I cancelled my travel plans for the weekend to go to the St. Andrews games in Detroit with Ray.

Reason?

My mother needs me to take her grocery shopping. She can't do it on Sunday, as she has trouble getting her checks cashed unless she goes to her regular bank, and of course, you know, most banks aren't open on Sunday...therefore the cancellation.

I haven't received a response from Raymond yet, but I'm sure that I will. I'm really angry with him for trying to keep things stirred up about my ex, and for his lying. I just can't tolerate it anymore. We'll see what I get for email, because I told him that my ex was DEAD.

Yes, I told him that my ex was DEAD...and in a way, he IS--at least to me, he is. There is no reason to keep harrassing me about all the things he did and why. There is no reason to even ponder about it. It's done. It's over. LONG time ago.

Dead.

I wish there was a pill I could take that would make me forget that I ever met him. The whole episode (amounting to five years of my life is all) has been a source of pain and anxiety for too many years. I hate to waste my time, as you are well aware, and discussions about my ex are a waste of my precious time. I have better things to do and better things to think about.

By the way, my headache is finally gone, but it clung to my head like a brain-sucking alien, I have to tell you until about 2pm. Then suddenly, it was gone. The fog lifted. The sun shone again. And life continued.

I now feel fuzzy all over, and almost happy...oh, wait--that could be the drugs..

No knitting done yet today, but I'll try to sit in my chair for a while tonight and get some done. There probably won't be much in the way of progress, so I won't post a picture again soon, but then again, who needs that?

I downloaded another sock pattern (like I need one of those--almost matches this hole in my head, right?). It's called Rattlesnake socks--has a cable in it, and looks easy, and I'm going to make them...after...I...get...some-other-project-DONE!

And there you go. Another day ahead.

Da Svetter in Progress

Yes, Egor, the svetter is in progress....looks like it would fit Frankenstein's monster, as this is only the lower part of the front, but I wanted to show you...so here it is.

I have a monumental sinus headache going on here, so I am not my usual funny self. In fact, I would sooner crawl back into the hole I dug myself out of--but silly me, I have to go to work. I did get up at 6:25, got dressed and answered my voice mail--perhaps that counts for something--but you know what? When somebody wants something, they want it now, so they call and call and call over and over again until they "get who they want to talk to", and if after a couple tries, they don't get YOU, they will call god and everybody to get a live person to go find you--hunt you down like the dog you are. How dare you be in the office and not at your desk or unable to take MY call! As if I don't have enough work to do, I have to stop what I'm doing, which is ALSO massively important to somebody else, in order to spend time listening to your complaint.

Do me a big favor, leave a message with your name and number. Nothing more, because I can't stand the sound of your whining.

Oooo..bad mood with this headache.

Last night, we watched "The Bucket List". Now, there is a video that everyone should watch. A small political statement hidden in this movie--that of the difference between the medical care that people who perhaps haven't as much money in comparison with a white man who has lots of money.

But both have cancer, and cancer being the great equalizer, the one who dies first doesn't appear to be as sick, and has the most thoughtful bucket list...while the white man who goes into remission and lives to age 81 and eulogizes his friend made in the hospital, has the money and the wherewithall to travel the world and have sex on an airplane with a beautiful stewardess.

Both are buried on top of Mount Everest, having been cremated and placed in a "Chock Full O Nuts" tin. The moral of the story is to live while you can, as much as you can and leave with no regrets, of course.

I took the movie back and talked to myself the entire way there and back. I also took in a couple of projects for the hardware man, and got some groceries. I spent most of the time in the car yelling at my ex-husband and my friend Ray for continually bringing his name up in passing.

This time, Ray says, Randy called asking about Ray's Tempo, wanting to buy it, because he needs a car. First of all, Randy wouldn't even know that Ray HAD a new car, and even if he did, which he didn't, how would he know if Ray still had the old car?

Ray's lying. And here comes my bad mood again. HISSSSSS at you for lying to me Ray!

Ray has got to stop with this crap. All it does is upset me. So I'm considering not going to St. Andrews with him. I'm considering halting our friendship forever. Frankly, I figure that's why all this Randy crap comes out of his mouth--because he thinks it binds us together, and frankly, it doesn't. It just makes me mad. It also makes me wonder if he's been carrying on a relationship with Randy all this time--think I've mentioned that once before...oh, headache...pound pound.

So I got a Bissell Spot Bot the other day. I cleaned up all the spots on the floor where the dog has had accidents. I got an air freshener to put down by the cat litter box. I got groceries, here's what I got...

pop
3 lbs burger
4 boxed dinners
lotion
milk
2 loaves bread
peanut butter
2 bags of boneless chicken thighs
hummingbird food

guess how much I spent.

No, seriously, guess!

Nearly $100. I'm serious! That outrageous. And it wasn't even organic!

If I was on a diet, it would have cost me twice that!

I can't believe how the price of food has gone up. I really can't. I was shocked that I only had 5 bags of stuff, and the bags weren't even FULL! The cost of everything is going so sky high that soon people won't be able to EAT.

I'm going to work.

Mulder and Scully need to take a powder!

All the hype about the new X-Files movie--holy cow, what a disappointment. I won't spoil it for you, but it wasn't what I was expecting, and could have been a thousand times better. David and Gillian again tip toe around their obvious chemical relationship and the story has no space ships in it-or even a hint of one. Just one crazy old coot, who claims to see visions (of course, he's a "priest gone bad, and natural nemesis to Scully, who is Catholic as we all know, and doesn't believe in this sort of crap, or does she go against the teaching in her religion and believe in it anyhow?)

Ack.

I shouldn't have gone to see it the first time! I think I'd have had a better time with Hellboy II. sigh.

In the meanwhile, I got the kitchen and bathroom clean, a load of laundry done, spot cleaned the living room and bedroom floors (my dog had a recent bout with diarrhea having gotten into the trash can where my hubby unceremoniously dumps chicken bones, and then I find them on the stairwell half eaten). I also got some knitting done on Fanilla, and think that I've got the back about halfway done.

We also checked out a "fixerupper" house in Lansing. That turned out to be a lost cause as well. This weekend just wasn't very productive.

However, the best part of the weekend was a party that I was invited to go to on Saturday--a barbeque at my favorite aunt's house on my hubby's side--there was a ton of food, and lots of good, friendly people. My aunt sure knows how to pick them!

I'm not sure why, but every time I try to send something to the office on my home email, the spaminator at the office deletes it. It happens all the time. This time, however, I was smart enough to make a copy of the information, and was at least able to print it when I found out it didn't go through again. Saved by the bell.

Well, it's 6:30am, and time to shut down. I'll try to get a picture of Fanilla's progress on here tonight.

Up at 3:45 am

Okay, this is the earliest I've been awake and aware in a long time.

Truth be known, I went to sleep at 7pm last evening, and woke up at 1:30am when my hubby turned on the light in the bedroom (after he had the alarm screaming in my ear for a minute or so), and I found myself tossing and turning again until 2, so I got up and started reading email again.

Pointless activity, really, but I love to read other people's blogs, look at pictures of their creations-whether they be socks or sweaters. I even like the baby pictures and the many cats, dogs and even moose. Yes, Moose. A video of a pair of twin moose playing in the sprinkler.

Don't see that every day now do ya?

I want to get back on my swing sweater, but think I'll go back to bed and try to sort out some dreams instead--maybe investigate the insides of my eyelids--and if sleep does come to me, I will feel refreshed and revitalized to go to hubby's aunt's house for a barbecue--

Oh, who am I kidding?

I can always take a nap! Is 2pm good for you?

No seriously, I have to go to this barbecue. She's my favorite aunt! Well, next to the favorite aunt on my mom's side...although, I think it's rather a close tie in favorites....

I like my hubby's aunt because she's an interesting sort of person. She smiles all the time, she laughs, she's funny in her own right and she's a junker.

What's a junker, you ask?

A junker is someone who goes to goodwill and buys a bunch of junk, just to have it--it's rather like a sock yarn stash--it's her addiction. Much of the clothing in her closet and the jewelry in her drawers is from goodwill, estate sales and garage (aka garbage) sales. She collects "things" that give her joy. Just like my yarn and pattern stash--so we have sort of an understanding.

I'm going to see if she knows a yarn store in Battle Creek today, and maybe she'll take me there. I would have some SERIOUS fun then, but she takes me to her favorite haunts, and I have fun with her doing that as well. The last time she took me to goodwill, I found a pair of cute Jellies shoes for my grand-daughter...unfortunately, I didn't have the cash for them, so there they sit. If they are still there this weekend, I'll buy them this time.

I'd take a picture of my sweater, but it's too dark in the house, and the light from the computer isn't enough to take a good picture--plus the interior lighting in my house is too yellow.

OH!

Did I tell you that my boa constrictor bit me yesterday?????????????

She got the worst of it, though. Before I worry you, constrictors are not poisonous!!!

Okay, so she bit me (my fault entirely, as I surprised her), and she surprised me, and I shook my hand to make her stop and she sort of fell back into her pen--really seriously pissed off--I think I woke her up. Snakes sleep with their eyes open, you know, so you really can't tell if they're awake or not. Had I petted her first, she probably wouldn't have bitten me. I was just going to give her some water in her water dish. Funny how that sounds like I'm putting fresh water in the dog dish? But she got me on my right hand, big finger. No, it doesn't hurt, and it did bleed a little--I put some peroxide on it, just in case of infection--but there's ben no trouble at all, so I figure I'm safe.

There are some snakes that inject a small bit of poison into their prey, and allow it to get away and run, then they follow the trail later, and find the prey dead..but constrictors are not that way. In fact, if I hadn't been so surprised, I would have relaxed and undid her grasp with my fingers, which would have resulted in less damage to my snake--I'm concerned that she may have lost a tooth in the battle!

Can someone tell me why my dog gets really weirded out when I laugh in total silence? You know how it is, you're reading along on an email, someone wrote something funny, and I laugh or giggle to myself--or let's say the "you've got mail" comes on (mine's actually a little sing song) in the middle of silence. My dog just goes ballistic! I don't get it.

Anyway, perhaps later, a picture of my swing sweater.

www.berocco.com

it's called Fanilla.

Later! I'm going to go investigate the insides of my eyelids, perchance to actually sleep-dare I say, "dream"?

Trying to get past the dread

This is going to be a pair of socks for my mother--she's a big piggy fan! And I'm going to make the piggy socks in the book "Knitted Socks". Very cool.


The green/gold in the Dune and the Green lace weight will make a stupendous shawl. The pink, which is actually coral, will go with the Gatsby down below, either the pink/orange or the spring pink/green...doesn't matter. Just to add some sparkle.




These two purple shades (lavender) seemed to crawl right off the shelf--Fino Alpaca and Kid Seta.


I finished a project recently, and now, I have fallen upon the dreaded post knitting depression--where you can't decided what to make or work on next.

I've been trying to coerce myself to knit a swing sweater with an empire bodice top out of yarn I purchased at Jo Ann's called "The big Boucle", a large 8 oz package of variegated boucle yarn, that will knit up GREAT on size 9's or 8's (the bad part is that it calls for a 10 1/2, which just seems too holey for my liking!), and I've really only found 2 patterns that will look good in this stuff, and the swing sweater just isn't cutting it. I'll have to change the pattern in order to knit this one up in the gauge I want, and frankly, I'd like a real "no thinking" knit....so I've sort of set the swing sweater aside until inspiration hits.

These Norwegian yarns are for a pair of mitts or gloves in the Selbustrikk booklet. The booklet has about 200+ patterns in it, so it's hard to decide, but the outcome should be pretty spectacular.


All of this from the Little Red Schoolhouse in Lansing, who is having a 40% off sale on their yarn...so you guess where I was yesterday! The Norwegian and the sock yarn was purchased at Threadbear. I brought the yarn to the office to show a girlfriend, and took the yarn to my doctor's office to show her, then took the pictures in her waiting room!

Don't tell my husband--he must never know. I spent over $100 there last night.

YIKES!

How am I going to buy gas next week (almost an equivalent purchase there....considering the price of gas)???

In any case, all is right with the world. My ex is maintaining his addiction, and his marriage will break up one day and I'll dance in the street when that happens. In the meantime, busy life and knitting will be marking my days as August approaches quick--in fact just hiding around the corner is another full dance card! I can't wait.

Flat Feet!

This is already knit yarn, hand dyed and sold flat in a sort of "scarf" for knitting socks. The tag says to tear out the waste yarn and knit from the already knit---no need to wash or hang out the fabric or anything.

Well, I decided I wasn't having any of that.

I ripped out the "scarf", discarded the waste yarn and wrapped on a niddy noddy, tossed into some vinegar water to soak a bit, then wrung it out and hung to dry with a pop bottle full of water to hang out the "wrinkles" in the yarn.

So far, works good. Almost dry, and the dye reminds me of chenille--because the dye didn't really "take" where the knit stitches were joined, so the dye is a tiny bit "spotty", but otherwise, it looks pretty cool, and I can barely wait to start knitting.

I've also been thinking strongly about knitting on my fair isle sweater--even in this heat! I'd like to get it out and check to see how long my armholes are--then start the shoulders, but I'm reticent because of the heat. All that wool yarn in my lap--think about it.

I dreamed that a bill collector came into my house, and into my bedroom when I wasn't dressed--in fact, totally naked, and I'm, well, covering my breasts while he stands there gawking. Then he gets mad about the unpaid bill, which of course, I find a receipt for payment AFTER I finally get him out of my house on threat of bodily harm--next thing I know, I'm at a family party, and this one woman is totally mad at me for some unknown to me reason. Everyone else said she was nuts, and to pay no attention, but frankly, the whole episode was un-nerving. At least I was dressed for the party.

I'm having a big Potato Chip craving at this very moment, and I'm considering taking off and going to the store to pick up a few things and to get some gas--since it was down to $4 a gallon last night.

Hubby said that he'd be willing to put in a windmill--to store electricity in case there's a storm we can still run our lights and our heat, because we heat with a corn stove upstairs. Last winter, the lights went out twice, and when that happened, our corn stove, of course, went out...in the middle of winter. There's also this threat of the world ending in 2014--which means no electric for anyone, except for those who have windmills to generate power. So I'm going to look into it.

2014? Oh there's some belief that the Mayan Calendar stops in the year 2014, and that was when they believed time would end. There's supposed to be some big alignment of the planets in our solar system, and there's the thought that the earth will wobble considerably on it's axis--causing all sorts of havoc...I'm glad we live on a hill, but it's a small hill and won't protect us for long.

Anyway, I'll stand watch in 2014--sometime in December, I guess for the world to end. Then I'll watch for the Hale Bop comet and take off in a space ship for an alien planet.

Anyone care to build another ark?

Knitting again!

I started knitting a sweater--not that I don't have enough sweaters on the needles, waiting patiently for me to get back to them--but because I didn't want to knit on wool right now--so I started a swing sweater with a turtle-type neckline with some boucle I had in my stash.

I also decided that I would use some of this same boucle to make a shawl--called the Seraphina Shawl (just google, it's everywhere, including on Ravelry!). The result of the boucle on the Seraphina Shawl is lovely, but Seraphina, sadly, is crochetted, which I am NOT very good at--but I'm going to try. Shawls and gauge don't matter so much.

I wanted to tell you about something that happened to a friend of mine at the office--

She was driving around in a strip mall parking lot, and a family walked out in front of her, and birds were exchanged--she drove to the gas station, and so did the family--everyone got out of the cars, she was alone, and the other two adults beat the crud out of her.

She came to work with bruises on her face, a cut lip. Heck, I didn't know who she was at first! She told me that the police wouldn't do anything.

I told her to call Judge Judy.

And she did.

The production manager asked her to come to California and they sent airfare and hotel reservations for everyone concerned. They looked into the matter, and found the people who beat her up, and sent them the same. How could they not come, right? I think that they were so sure that they were in the right for doing this, although I am not sure why.

Anyway, Judge Judy lit into them like a PIT BULL, humiliated them on national television, and since my friend had her case in order and looked and acted "with it and reasonable", she won her case and came home $5 GRAND RICHER!

Not that the perps had to pay a cent of it, but the public humiliation was worth every penny!

-----
Another blogger's situation with her daughter reminded me of the situation with my ex--where he walked out on our marriage, leaving me to pay the full brunt of a $15,000 bankruptcy (okay, I suppose that's unfair, he sold his bike for $2 grand, and put it all on the bankruptcy, most of which I'd already paid with garnishment and monthly payments). So I ended up paying only $13,000, I still feel rather rooked, and very jaded about the whole affair.

Had I not had that bill, I could have gotten another car/newer car when it came time, but unfortunately...well, you get the picture. I'm still really tight with my money, and for sure won't give a bit of it to my current husband, who seems to be really tight with money too! At least finances wise, my current man and I seem to be pretty much on the same page.

We both want to retire.

He could do so now, if the house were paid off. I can't until I'm retirement age, but I have a hunch that something will happen to me that I will have to go on a medical leave and likely disability--I just have this funny feeling....maybe it's my brain that will "go". I seriously don't think I should have to wait much more than say...a couple more hours?

Thank GOD it's Friday!

My DK Hat is finally finished!

And we have PICTURES!

First pic, though, is the progress pic I intended to show you last week, when I was nearly done.

Here's the hat inside out...see the change in colorway?

Oh, and pay no attention to the crazy lady under the hat, but she couldn't help herself. Beyond that, I think she's had a bit too much to drink. Darn these bag ladies--they just aren't quite as photogenic as the tabloid models, are they?




And lastly, the picture of the Flint Scottish Pipe Band that I snapped in Chatham while they were competing for the Grade IV.


See the brick building in the background? That was the armory--it looks like a castle--REALLY!

Remarkable piece of architecture!

Chatham

Well, Chatham, it turns out, is not on the 403, but on 40...and for those who were looking for a picture of the escarpment, sadly, it is on the 403, beyond London, and we had barely passed through Sarnia when we had to turn off to head for Chatham.

What a trip!

We started out at 6, dropped into McDonald's and got breakfast, then we were on our way. I had wanted to buy a pair of sandals on the way, and we stopped a couple of times to look into different stores, but I didn't find anything I liked, so we moved on.

We got to the bridge, and were waved on through with no difficulties whatsoever. Very nice drive, so far...

Then we got to 40.

Miles and miles of roadway, stop and go, turn here, detour there--got lost twice. What a fiasco!

We stopped at a pet store in what we THOUGHT was Chatham, since the sign three miles back said "Welcome to Chatham", I mean

Who'd a thunk that it wasn't Chatham?

But, it wasn't Chatham. It was Wallyberg or something similar. I wanted to check out the puppies they had in the pet store. There was a real cutie Shitz Zhu that reminded me of my hubby's dog, Cindy (more on Cindy tomorrow), but she was $600.

And I'm thinking

"For a puppy?"

So we left and headed back on the road for Chatham, which was apparently another 15 minutes up the road.

More construction/road re-surfacing, and finally, CHATHAM!

Of course, since we hadn't seen a river yet, we stayed on 40, which ran around town to the East, and ended up nearly to the 401 (lost again, but found a cool restaurant, which we ate at afterward), before deciding to head back and go straight instead of that left turn at Alburquerque....

In any case, we finally ended up at the right place, and found a parking spot (not the easiest thing to do, by the way. It was 5 blocks from the fairgrounds!), gathered our gear and walked to the festival grounds. We got inside, and found a good place to sit, then I decided it was time for lunch. While underneath the tent for the food vendor that I'd chosen, I could see big black clouds gathering to the west and sound of the grounds. It was going to hit and hit hard. Ray was too far away for me to yell to him to take cover, and then the rain came.

Nah, it wasn't rain.

It was more like a waterfall! Everyone soaked to the skin within seconds--and Ray, standing there with two umbrellas, works himself into a frenzy trying to open the package of a pocket Rain Poncho. He brought mine around, and I put it on (of course, I'm under the tent yet), and put the food underneath it, and walk over to the beer tent with our food, find a place to sit, and just dropped all the wet things on the ground there and sat down to enjoy my meal. Ray sat down next to me and ate his meal too. Our food was nice and dry. I can't say that about most other's food!!!

After about a half hour, the sky lifted, and the sun came out. The rain left a nice breeze that boded well for the rest of the day (indeed, even though I'd heard it was supposed to rain off and on all day, it only rained the one time, but it was quite a RAIN!). So we finished our meal and then headed over to the festival grounds to find a good spot to set up our chairs and umbrellas to watch the grade 4 competition and the grade 1 competition thereafter.

Here's how I would have scored the bands....no preferential treatment here, either, folks...

1. Brighton
2. Pentanagore
3. Flint
4. Windsor
5. Hamilton

Windsor was first to play, and frankly, I figure, you never should give the highest score to the first band out--what if someone else down the way plays BETTER?????? But Windsor ended up taking first place in the competition, even when one of their tenors appeared to have a severe lack of confidence in what she was playing. Flint took second--which totally shocked me, because I thought I was being NICE by giving them third!!!

Brighton and Pentanagore took 3rd and 4th, maybe not in that order, but honestly, they had the best sound of all of the bands, so I was also shocked with their placings--I couldn't tell you what the judges had on their minds at the time, but it's possible that I haven't a clue about how judges do their judging. Even so, Ray ALSO gave kudos to Pentanagore and Brighton, so I thought I was pretty safe in my judging of the sound I was hearing.

Then Grade 1 came out to play.

It was 78th, Peel and Windsor in that order, and I was totally right all the way! So you know--I'm a good judge of sound. I can't believe that I was so wrong about Grade IV.

But after the closing ceremonies and massed bands, we folded up the chairs and headed back to the car--off to the restaurant.

How's that for a blow by blow?

At the restaurant, a little hole in the wall family eatery attached to a garden center with Left-Handed Gnomees (figurines) standing everywhere (pretty scarey) and a pub (no less!) we stopped and walked in, sat down, and ordered Chicken Parmesan.

The waitress/cook/chief bottle washer came out with 14" plates piled 3" high with spaghetti! And chicken parmesan. And garlic toast! And spaghetti, did I mention spaghetti?

There was so much food, we couldn't eat it all, so we got styrofoam boxes and paid the bill, left a large tip and headed for the car and the 401.

We passed this sign that said 401 was closing at 9pm.

How do you completely close a highway??? We lucked out, because we passed the construction well before 9pm, and ended up at the toll booth to the USA about 8:30pm. Entering the USA wasn't much of a problem, but the guard, who appeared to be of some Middle Eastern descent, didn't seem to be in a good mood, and didn't joke much with us like the guards at the Sarnia booth. So we answered the requisite questions, and were back on the road with no time lost.

We returned to my house about 10:30pm due to construction all around Detroit, which we knew was going to happen, but there was no detours and no stopped traffic--just a little slower than normal, but things moved along fairly well.

All in all, not a bad trip, although I'm not seriously looking to go back there anytime soon.

The next trip will be Detroit St. Andrews in August, and I'm trying to get my hubby to go to Stone Mountain with me in September. The next competition will be for Grade 5 in Detroit St. Andrews, which is a games I attend nearly every year, and I take along my spinning wheel and demo under the tent by the children's games with the Weaver's Guild of Detroit. Stone Mountain is a games that I've never been to, and have always wanted to go to, so it's chancey that I'll get to go, but I think it would be a VERY nice vacation. We'll see how things fall out.

I'm getting some backlash rumors from Ray regarding Flint. The information is pretty unsettling. There are things going on that make me feel uncomfortable--and we'll see how things filter down in the next few months. Otherwise, not much else to say except TADA! Back to work!

Tarot Card for the Day

The 9 of Swords--entitled "Suffering"

After a long "night" of suffering, there has been an awakening, and the "dream" has finally broken.

While things might yet be uncomfortable while the racing heart slows back down to a normal pace, the end is in sight and relaxation is within reach.

This is a good card to draw on a Friday--it says that things will be impossible for only a short time longer, and then--BLISS--or, as I call it, THE BLESSED WEEKEND.

This weekend, Ray and I are heading for Chatham to watch Flint Scottish in competition. It's supposed to storm most of the day on Saturday, and I'm not looking forward to the drive because of that, but we'll be prepared, I think. If I drive by the Niagara Escarpment again, I'll take a picture this time. I didn't get one when we drove to Georgetown--and I'm almost afraid that the escarpment is AFTER Chatham, rather than BEFORE, and therefore I won't get the picture unless I head out there at some point during the day.

I also hope that Flint does better in this matchup than they did at Embro and Kincardine...I have to check the stats page, but something tells me that the band has fallen apart at the seams, and will have to do some fast pedalling to get going again. We'll see. I do wish them lots of luck in the days/weeks and months ahead of them.

Later!

Nothing but Work!

It's been pretty boring the last several days. Hot, humid weather that won't let me out of my office for it's oppressiveness, and so I've been working my tail off (can you see I don't have any tail left!) trying to catch up.

I am knitting, even though it bothers my wrist. I haven't been to the rheumatologist because I'm afraid he's going to tell me that I have arthritis, which I really don't want to hear that--since I know there's really nothing they can do about it, except put me on anti-inflammatory medication, which makes me sleepy, and I REALLY hate feeling tired all the time.

I think justice would be better served if I could just lose weight. Even though my diet has not changed in the 30 years since I started gaining (slowly), the weight packs on pound after pound, and there doesn't seem to be a thing I can do about it. Standing up, my clothing fits me. Sitting down, my clothes are restrictive and I can't breathe. The second I get home, I am pulling my jeans off and sitting under the ceiling fan trying to cool off.

As I said, I've been doing some knitting. I am finally on the decreases for the double knit hat. I expect that I will be done with it today, and I can take pictures and show you the final result. It's quite lovely, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I'm going to be able to wear it this winter. I plan to put a big fun pompom on top. After that hat, I've got some mittens I want to make, and some socks--but I think I will go back to knitting on my fair isle sweater, finish it, then go on to the entrelac sweater and finish that--now that I have the book to do the pineapples--and then I will have two sweaters and a hat to wear for fall and winter. The idea pleases me.

I also have a hat kit in the basement that I've had for some time--this one is felted, and has some of that eyelash yarn knit into the band that goes around the head--it's purple, and it's pretty. I might opt for that. I'd also like to do those felted boots--make them to look like Uggs--and put a leather sole on them so I can wear them in "inclement" weather. First, however, I want to finish some of the UFO's on the side bar, here--and make a big dent in my stash--that's rather a necessity, because I've got a LOT of yarn. Some of it I haven't seen for years--it's stuffed in big plastic bins in the basement. I have to go through it and make up the projects that have been languishing in those boxes for like....God forever.

I have this afghan. The central part is a snow scene, which is done. The outer part is hairpin lace that curves around it in a sort of filigree pattern. I'm not sure that I still have the pattern layout, so it will take some hunting, I expect, but since we're going through everything down in the basement, I figure now might be the last chance I get. I have a good idea where it's at, but it's going to take some doing. The final result will be a showpiece--definitely not for keeping you warm at night, but something to show off--perhaps at the fair--I'm pretty sure the final piece will be a show-stopping first place. There's just no way it could lose. Beyond that, I can't imagine having it in my dog and cat-hair infested home. I think before I can do that, I have to have both dogs and cats groomed and a professional cleaner to come in and get all the cat and dog hair out of the carpet--a challenge not for the feint of heart.

Well, I've changed subjects too many times in that last paragraph.

I pulled 4 tarot cards yesterday to find out what's up with my ex. I drew the 6 of swords first. Sadness, discontent, travel over water, leaving. Then at home, I asked how long before he and his wife split. I pulled the 2 of cups reversed, the ace of wands and the 3 of wands reversed.

2 of cups reversed-disharmony
ace of wands-creativity
3 o wands reversed-Lack of foundation

So apparently, he is already considering leaving her. There is disharmony in the home, very likely of a financial nature, since I know he is still not working, and they are having to make do on her salary, and I know that she is not well employed. Then there will be a short period of attempt to create harmony, and probably some semblance of it, especially to outsiders. Then the foundation will crumble, and they will break up. She'll try to hold onto him, but he will leave regardless, because that's what he does.

And for those of you who read Tarot, and say "oh, that's not what those cards say", trust me on this one. The cards have never been wrong with my readings.

Never.

Today's card is The Warrior reversed. Now the warrior is a woman figure who is strong, both in mind, body and spirit. She basically goes where she wants, when she wants to go--a no nonsense sort of gal. It's being reversed says that there will be blockades to to this sort of freedom--and that my day will be rife with a lack of the qualities of this warrior. Another boring day.

I need a break. The heat is oppressive. Today is payday. Maybe I'll take a longer lunch and head over to the yarn store? :)

Fantastic!

My anniversary was yesterday.

My husband took me to the Air Show in Battle Creek, to watch the balloon launch. There were 51 balloons. The wind wasn't very strong, so the balloons stayed pretty close most of the evening.

Pictures? You betcha!

There was an airshow, too, and we got to watch the stunt planes and then the Thunderbirds came out....check it!








Not the greatest picture, but this was just one. I took over 200 shots over the weekend.







Then there was the 4th of July fireworks. These were taken right off my back porch!



























Cool shots, huh?

Then, in between all this, there was a spectacular sunrise.

Today, the shearer is coming to shear my sheep. I've been able to do a little bit of knitting today, and I will probably spin later. Hubby wants to load more junk on the truck, but also has plans to work on a garage door with his best friend this afternoon, so I think that the truck is going to take a back seat.

Too bad. It's supposed to rain today.

I have to go fast, as I have to get the $$ for the shearer.

New Latest from Flint

I'm in the middle of a rainstorm--and there have been several passing through today--the first came as I was driving home. I'm glad that I wasn't at the office, because they showed pictures time lapse photography of the storm coming in down by where I work, and trust me, it wasn't pretty. It has done nothing but rain

and rain hard

all afternoon/evening. Direct TV is out, so we can't even get a good weather channel--so it's dark and depressing. I can't see the copse of trees across the road for all the rain. Charlotte got so much hail that it looked like it had snowed, according to the weather report earlier this afternoon. Okay, I'm getting intermittent signal on the tele--which says "flash flood warning". We have gotten a lot of rain.

I contacted my friend in the pipe band, and she tells me that Ed was at Embro in competition. I told her that it was odd, because he called me and told me he quit on Monday. So I told her to call him to find out what the deal was, and he called me shortly afterward.

Apparently, he decided to go back.

However, he told me that their bass drummer quit with no notice whatsoever before the game, and they had to scramble for another bass drummer to help them out. They finally decided to have one of the snare drummers do it, and they took another second place.

Amazing how all this stuff works out, isn't it?

I told my husband that I wanted him to take me to the Battle Creek Balloon Launch this weekend. I'm taking him to the Outback on Sunday. I've never been to the balloon launch, and in keeping with our 8th anniversary "gift list", which says that we should give each other something bronze or something rubber...well first I thought of something else entirely...then thought of the gun show, which he's not so interested (I know, they aren't bronze, but it's close!), then I thought about buying a bag of balloons. Then I heard about the Balloon festival, and knew that was what I wanted to do.

Direct tv went out again. I think I'm going to call them tomorrow and tell them that something is wrong because it goes out every time it rains. More rain, heavy rain, lighter, heavier...

Tv's back.

See what I mean?

In fact, since there's lightening, I probably shouldn't be on my computer! Maybe I could watch Ghost Busters? Maybe I could run a few tarot cards?

Well, give me a second, I'll draw one and give the "insight".

What will happen between now and midnight?

Well, this is the oddest thing.

I have pulled the World Tree three times in the last three days, even though I've shuffled the cards and cut them, asking about my day--it's as if it's stuck on one pat answer...everything is fine, the world is humming right along and things are as they should be. I suppose that's a good thing, since it's raining, there are flood warnings (we live on a hill, so we're likely out of danger there) there haven't been any tornados, and the weather guys don't predict any, and now, even though there is lightening, the rain is settling down, and things are coming back into harmony. I think I can expect that things will wind down and become "situation normal" in the next three hours or so. That settles my mind a bit--I always get fearsome when the storms come, and this card seems to be telling me to relax, nothing inherently bad is going to happen tonight.

Yay.