Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Test

A bullion block for the BAM CAL...

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Living History Show

Well, today was the living history show--3 rooms full of vendors selling all kinds of stuff from rings to muzzle loaders. I walked all the rooms twice, two of the rooms three times. My feet are tired. I'm exhausted and ready for a nap, and it's already after 4pm.

After spending a ton of money there, I spent another $30 at JoAnn's--they had Sashay yarn in the pink and turquoise colorways, so I got them, a little more of the Seamist Spray in Vanna's for the Bullion block, and Martha Stewart's $40 package of interchangeable knitting looms. I have a lot to do, and I'm just too tired.

At the show, I got a couple of items for my chatelaine--a needle case and a pair of scissors in a  carrier. Then I found another pair of scissors that I thought might work in the carrier, but they are too heavy. They work GREAT though, as nippers, so I'm going with it. The other item was a kit of learn how to needle tat. Now, I already know how to shuttle tat--so this is going to be a piece of cake, as I'm told needle tatting is lots easier than shuttle tatting. So I thought I might try it.

I expect that I'll be heading for the Civil War Re-Enactment in Jackson this year after I spend some time at the Kalamazoo Highland Festival--since it seems that they compete most years on the same days.

I'll be spinning and doing demos most of the summer. I'm pretty excited about it all, except that I expect that it's going to be really hot all summer. Perhaps I'll wear something lighter, but as early as spring has hit (we're in the 80's today, another all-time high--to match the last 2 days!), I can say with a certainty that this year will be hot, humid, with lots of unpredictable weather.

The one thing I didn't do, is take pictures. It seems like I get so caught up in looking for the things I'm looking for, that I forget to look up and snap a pic. I will wager that there were at least 75% of the people there were in period dress. It was like going back in time. I found the fur trader, but he didn't have my silver fox mittens this year, which was a huge disappointment--as they were the reason I was there! So I got his card, and I'll chatter with him online. He said they will run $125--and I said "yes...?" As in, "what's your point?" :) When you know you want something, you want it no matter the price. These mittens are beautiful and totally warm. Better than wool. Warmer than wool.

So the season is on it's way, and I can put away all the dreariness of a long winter that wasn't, and start going outdoors and reminding myself what if feels like to walk around in the yard. I can't go far, since I sink down into a mole run every couple of feet. We must have lots of grubs in our lawn, if the mole runs are any indication...we're infested.

Well, I'm going to get busy on the Bullion Block. I got the first round of bullions done in Round 5. I'm about to start row 6. All the other people testing this block are WAY ahead of me. But I'm going slow, taking my time, doing it right. Reading the pattern and making sure it makes sense to me. So far, so good.

Pics when the block is done.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

YAY!

Hubby got a job!!!! He starts today! Can you believe it!? More about it tomorrow, after I've had a chance to talk with him.

Contrary to Popular Opinion

I believe there's been a misunderstanding!

After all those stormy clouds yesterday, we barely got much rain. In fact, this morning, my driveway was nearly dry!

So, ease up! I didn't die! I'm still alive, although perhaps not well (physically or mentally), as I still have bronchitis (nuts to that) and well, mentally....I suppose no one can fix THAT.

I had a pulmonary test today--which has next to nothing to do with my heart, so much as my lungs, and making sure that I'm getting in (and out) enough air. The test went fine. Apparently, I breathe quite well when I'm on the mend from bronchitis. You see, that's the trouble. They always test me AFTER my illness has pretty much died down. Never before I get it (how could they know?) or while I'm in the thick of it (that would be too easy!). Instead, they do it when I'm finally on the mend, only to find out that I don't have asthma, so why am I using a steroid?

One thing the doctor today did tell me, that I didn't know, was that after doing the inhaler, to rinse my mouth out twice with water. Otherwise, I could end up with a yeast infection in my throat. Now, that doesn't sound pleasant AT ALL, and so today, I dutifully rinsed my mouth out after using my inhaler.

And since I work with a lot of children that use inhalers--I wonder if THEY were ever told to rinse your mouth out? I mean, I have never seen anyone do that--not even on television! And we all know how realistic television purports to be--what with all this reality show stuff (that I don't bother watching, so let's not even go there.).

So just curious, I guess. With the sunshine, though, comes healing, as I spend more time outdoors and things sort of naturally "dry up". Tonight is knit night, and I'm planning a visit with my mother (as well as knitting on the U of M football), and if I finish--(I won't, but I'm just sort of "on the plan" here) I will just sit and listen to everyone talk. I know that probably sounds boring, but it's amazing sometimes, just to sit back and listen to the people you call friends.

Now you just watch, someone will read this, and think bad things about me, and won't talk at knit night. HA! What goes in the ears, my friends, never reaches my fingers. In fact, I usually forget what you said the second after you said it. I just listen. While I knit, too.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Lots of Scary Weather

All around us, but only a little bit of rain fell upon us. There were Thunderstorm and tornado warnings all over around us, and we could hear the thunder, see lightning...but nothing befell our house.

We are blessed.

Here's some pics I took of the approaching storms that miraculously missed us:






I Think it might be Spring

The weatherman is touting thunderstorms tonight, but the rest of the week will be 60's and 70's. This means no heat for the house, except at night--but that's okay, because that's the only time I'm home.

I've got a million things to do in about an hour, so I really can't take up a lot of time blogging about it. First, I have to get the last of these bills out (it's not going to happen). Then I have to make folders and labels and check different programs to find out if the files can be opened...that MIGHT happen, at least the folders will get made for sure. Then I have a bone density test at the doctor at 4:30--which I lost the consent for--but I think it might be in the car, with all the bags and stuff of fiber that I need to fold into my stash room...

Which of course, I can't work in the stash room until I clean the floor in there, and I can't very well do it in the dark...so I have to figure out how this is going to happen.

I've decided I need a maid AND a secretary--

And perhaps another 6 hours to the day.

Because there's just never enough time.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

I Believe There is No Saving Them....


But MOM! I was just watching the Michigan State/Ohio State matchup! I took them off my head so I could better see the game on tv, and noticed the bow was a little "crooked"...when I picked them up, the bow just fell off!

Well, 2 minutes left to the game, and Michigan State is ahead, but not by much. And Draymon Green just fouled. The clock is running out. 1:36 left to the game, and Michigan State is now 5 points ahead.

Listen, I'm not much for watching the games until it gets to the sweet 16 or so...

Less than 26 seconds to go, Michigan State has a 5 point lead. FOUL! We've got the ball again! FOUL! Man, I'm telling you. The matchup is really close.

21 seconds, and the lead is down to 3, but State has the ball. Time out. All they have to do is hang onto the ball now. Ohio should concede, frankly.

I'll blame the loss/damage to my glasses on my exuberance about the game. I hope it holds up with my husband. It's sad, because I really liked that pair.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

A Truly Cool BAM

This block, the third in the series, I think is simply cooler than cool. It is so simply GREEN, and I love the color GREEN.

Did I say I love the color green?

Well, I won't bore you with the details. I'll just show you a pic of the finished project!


And then, to make matters ever more silly, I tried to take a picture of a rainbow on my ceiling this morning. Actually, there were a couple of them, and one that looked like a fairy...not that I believe in fairies, mind you, but this one really looked like a fairy.


And then, the rainbows on my ceiling--there were two of them, each one arcing a different direction. It may have been because the sun had a big storm that gave Michigan lots of auroral phenomena all over the state...but I think it was just that my house is REALLY dusty, and the sun was just shining so brightly into my room....that the end result was prism-like.


It sure was pretty in my room.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

I'm About Done

I've been sick for three weeks now. I'm sick of being sick.

I have a bag I'm planning to felt tonight, a block from the block a month group to do. Then back to the football. But I'm just about exhausted. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow to follow up on this stuff that's making me cough-cough-cough--tiny bubbles that move along my bronchial tubes and pop along the way here and there. The coughing constantly is what's exhausting me, and no one else has a cough like mine (except my poor hubby, who is also suffering with this).

All of that, plus dinner and a shower, and try to climb between the covers by 9--right now, it sounds nearly impossible.

I sometimes think that if I were to chop off my head, I might feel better. My doctor told me that one day, and we both got a giggle out of it. I also thought that if I could go outdoors and soak up some sunshine, that it would dry up and slink away, but so far, that hasn't happened, and I've been outdoors twice today. Maybe when I get home. Right now, I'm just shaking my head--I have so much packed into the plan, that I don't feel like I can even move--except my fingers. I can move my fingers. The rest of me is exhausted, and it's only 3:15!

So I'm going to pretend to work for the next several minutes, and then I'm going home.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Updates

I've been sick for 3 weeks. I'm still coughing up gunk, and I'm pretty well tired of it. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I know that they are going to squeak a lot about it, because I'm still horking up a lung every now and then. It's not been a fun pre-spring.

I've not been doing a lot of knitting either, but I've got a couple of things on the needles--

Another football wall hanging, this time in maize and blue for my brother-in-law that lives in Florida. He's a University of Michigan fan, and ever will be. I think his entire man-cave is in maize and blue, and therefore, my wall hanging will work famously.

The other thing on the needles is a clutch bag that I'm working up the pattern for JoAnn's (and most likely for here, too, so keep your eyes on the blog!). Just something quick and felted...

And then, I found this...

And I was just rolled for a loop. Not only do I want to make this, I think I already have the yarn to make it. Which makes it pretty much FREE, except for the pattern, of course. So I'm having a dickens of a time trying to figure out how to get everything that's on the needles NOW, off the needles, so that I can work on this scarf. It's a lot of work to get done just to start a scarf, but the stuff on the needles now has to be done anyhow.

So by the time spring really rolls around, I'll have another scarf to wear in the winter...which seems a tad overkill. Maybe I can put in an order for a few more months of snow?