Indigestion

As usual, I ate too much on Thanksgiving and am now paying the price.  Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, deviled eggs, green beans, homemade dinner rolls, cranberry sauce, pickle, pie with whipped cream,; although I have to admit the pie didn't get cut yet.  We certainly did justice to such a spread.  I talked to my uncle and aunt (about 90 miles away) and they had a quiet dinner with their son and his wife.  I'm glad they had someone to share with; their son often works holidays so that those with family can be off (he works in a hospital).  We will try to get down there before Christmas, weather permitting.  The big storm predicted for our area (and actually the entire state) wasn't a hill of beans; we had 2" and most of that melted.  There were places a little icy, but doable if you had decent tires.  We saw one car on Wednesday that spun out, but it had student winter tires; that's any tire with some tread.  As long as they don't plow into someone else, or block the road, I figure they are entitled to make a fool of themselves.

We usually put up the Christmas decorations this weekend, but no one seems up for the job.  Maybe next weekend.  Some  of our neighbors have their outside lights up before Thanksgiving, so at least they could do them when the footing isn't slippery.  One neighbor has Hodgkin's lymphoma, so they may have taken that into account, for an early Christmas.

The Newfs are out in the back yard today, free to bark their heads off.  Luckily we live a fair distance from our neighbors, and the dogs cannot reach the boundary fence line, so it is OK with me.  The neighbor dogs answer back, there is quite a chorus at times.  Naturally, I don't see anything bark-worthy.

I have been working on getting some of my fountain pens up and running, I never should let them sit unused this long.  I sonicated the nibs and feed, which helped most of them.  A few are unrepentantly clogged.  I'll remove the ink and let them soak overnight.  I have oodles of pens, and carry at least 5 or 6 in my purse, though mostly ball points so I don't get ink stains inside the handbag.  Right now my hands are stained and I need to go scrub them with a drop of bleach.  They are a little conspicuous with blue, burgundy and brown ink stains.

I sent off my "green" swap box to my partner in the knitting forum swap exchange.  I got a reply already, it shipped priority in 2 days.  I can't wait to get my package.  The swaps are a different color every month, and it is fun to look for items in that month's color.

Bumper sticker for the day:  " The past, the present and the future walked into a bar.  It was tense."

Snowy day

We just returned from attempting to go to a therapy visit.  We cleaned all the snow off the car, warmed it up, and ventured out into traffic of shoppers and people driving to family gatherings.  When we reached the office, there was a sign on the door that the office was closed from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3rd.  The door was locked, and the doorbell did not produce anyone.  After we got home the therapist called to say we "just missed her"  and that she put a note on the door to ring for admittance.  Too late for us, we went back home and weren't about to venture out again.  This would have been the 4th visit with this therapist, and I can already see we will have problems.  I am rarely/never late, and I think she should have arrived at least 15 minutes before our appointment.  A big waste of makeup today!

The snowfall predicted for overnight didn't materialize here, we had only about 2 inches.  What is falling now is more like rainy mist, and the snow is disappearing.  So much for the 6-8 inches forecast.   Not that I am complaining;  once both son and daughter are home for the holiday (this afternoon) I don't care what it does outside, we have all we need through the weekend at least.  And no, I won't be going shopping on Black Friday, big crowds make me panicky and I like to shop online and just wait for the delivery.  It is much simpler to do that now, when there are only the four of us, than it would be to wander the mall searching for inspiration.

The horses are inside the barn for the next couple of days.  The footing outside is far too slippery for them, when they leap and buck and run after being in for a day or two.  I have a photo of Blondie and Willie running in hock-deep snow, back when they were young and sure-footed.  It is one of my favorite photos.  Now Blondie is gone, and Willie and his sister Maybe are senior citizens.  I don't know what we did when we only had the little wooden barn, open on one side, but the big barn, with hot water, lights, heated water buckets, in the winter and fans in every stall and in the end of the barn roof, automatic fly sprays, every summer, all of this is a dream come true.  Best of all is that it is all paid for.

 Bumper sticker for the day:  "IRS:  We've got what it takes to take what you've got."

The Hostess with the least-est

What is the largest group you have ever catered for, as the principal hostess?  For me it was around 17 or so.  It is not-so-fondly referred to as the Christmas from hell.  My sister-in law, her husband and my brother in law, plus assorted relatives nearby and not so nearby came for the holiday.  My sister-in-law brought another visitor too -- the awfullest virus, and one by one we succumbed.  DS was teasing his sister because she got sick on Christmas eve; so of course, he got sick on Christmas day.  I got sick the day after everyone left, which was the best I could hope for.  The entire episode made fixing meals a nightmare.  I had people who weren't sick (yet) and ate regular food; people who were getting over the worst and wanted soup and jello; and those in the midst of the whole mess who didn't want anything.  Oh yeah, and we had to call a plumber out on Christmas eve.  It was the only time the whole family was together, and we got some good visiting done even at the worst.  But that was the last time everyone came, and it wasn't even my fault!  I spent half my time going around with clorox wipers trying to stem the spread, but if it helped I didn't see it.  Now we have just the 4 of us, and I am sad when I think of all those who have passed away.  Now there is only sister- and brother-in-law, one aunt and uncle who can't make the trip as she is house-bound, of the original list.  I would do it all again if it meant I'd get to see them all again.

We shopped yesterday for the Thanksgiving menu, nothing very elaborate, but the mobs at the store!  The only good thing was that they had all the registers open.  I hope we didn't forget anything, because for sure I'm not going back.

The mail hasn't come yet today, but I know we will have mail - Christmas catalogs!  I don't know how I end up on so many mailing lists, but whatever the cause, there are a lot of them.  Hammacher and Schlemmer is one of my favorites.  They advertise an authentic London taxi cab, including leather upholstery, tinted glass, extra front seat, mahogany trim, chrome fenders and air conditioning.  All for a mere $40,000.   Levenger is another catalog, for leather goods and writing instruments; for example,  they have desk sets, with desk pad, letter tray, pen cup, etc. in leather for $495.  Or a leather tote for $329.  Heck, send me two.  And of course there is all the schlocky stuff in Oriental Trading Company, or Harriet Carter, Miles Kimball, and Collections.  Some of them send me emails as well; a typical list of emails for the day will include 50 or 60, of which 4 or so I will open and read.  That doesn't count the ones caught by my spam filter.

This cold weather has brought the birds flocking back to the feeders.  For a few weeks,  it seemed that the season was over for the migratory birds, but today there were quite a few of them as well as the ones (like cardinals) that don't migrate.  It is funny to watch them kicking out the seeds they don't want to get to the ones they do like, while the birds on the ground have what must seem like manna falling from the sky, to pick up among the grass.  Either way, it all gets eaten.

Bumper Sticker for the day:  "When you stop believing in Santa you get underwear."

50 years??!!

It can't be 50 years since JFK died.  Surely not.  I guess I was 12 at the time; I know I was in Latin class in the 8th grade.  The announcement came over the PA, and, like at any junior high of the day, there was nervous laughter, crying, bewilderment.  We watched the funeral on TV for hours, and felt shocked again when Oswald was killed. I can't replay the whole story that is everywhere this week, it feels too morbid and even after all this time, too bewildering.  Do I believe Oswald acted alone?  Not.  Do I believe  Ruby shot Oswald out of some grandiose patriotic pay-back feeling?  Not.  Will we ever know the entire truth?  Not.

Maybe it doesn't matter anymore?  Dunno.

I certainly hope security for our leaders has vastly improved.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "If you are psychic - think "HONK".

A one, a two...

I can finally move my right knee again.  Just got a cortisone shot, it will be good for close to 3 months if the relief is the same as the last several shots.  It is so wonderful to walk without a limp, or the fear that my knee will collapse when I stand suddenly.  December looks to be a very busy month, and I want to be able to navigate painlessly, even though I do a lot of shopping online.

I ordered a chamois shirt for my son, he wears one as an overshirt, and the one he has really looks tatty.  I couldn't decide which size to get, large or extra large, so I got one of each, and then can send the other one back.  Hope he likes it.  I ordered from Carrheart.

I haven't been able to see my therapist, the time since my last appt. has just flown by, and now she has moved (I think) and can no longer be reached at the phone number she had before.  I tried again today.

I can't tell you where I took this picture, just that it is somewhere near Helvetia WV.  A beautiful little hidden stream.  I put it here as a reminder of the green months, not just the brown crispy ones we are having now.  I have watched the incredible tornado/hurricane devastation across the country and the world, and it feels really trivial to complain about merely fall days.  I can't imagine what all the homeless people will do as winter approaches.  I read somewhere recently of someone gathering up the "gotta keep it" bag with the irreplaceable items to grab as you are going to safety, and I couldn't imagine how I would do this.  My main fears would be for  the horses, the dogs, and the cats.   I couldn't exactly stuff them in a pillowcase and make a run for it.  Photos?  There are probably no more than 50 that I would salvage, but now I have all my photos stored in the cloud, so they are retrievable.  My fountain pen collection?  Maybe, they would all fit in a shoebox, but would I be devastated without them?  I don't think so.  As long as my family and furry ones are OK, so I will be.  It's only stuff.

 Still have some work to be done on my scarf knitting project, so I will get to it.  Take care.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Of course I talk to myself.  Sometimes I need expert advice."

Creaky knees

Bumper sticker for the day:  "We're not old people, we're recycled teenagers!"

Kitty linky

Feline Friday

NaBloPoMo

The cryptic title above stands for National blog posting month, started by Eden Kennedy on BlogHer.  The site gives you a topic every day for the entire month and bloggers are challenged to write a post every day for the entire month of November.  I did it one year and boy was it a struggle, even with prompts.  I have no intention of doing it again, but it is nice to see the posts of the "pro" bloggers.

This is the sunset I took just minutes ago from our back deck.  It doesn't last long, but boy do we ever have gorgeous sunsets.  The trick is to put the sun behind the tree mostly, so that it doesn't blind you and wash the photo away.  Beautiful countryside.  When we lived in San Francisco, many many years ago, we would drive to Lake Tahoe a couple of times a year.  I couldn't get over how beautiful it was, and envied people who could live there year round.  Where we live now, in WV, is every bit as lovely as Tahoe, in its own way, and there are a lot fewer people to contend with too.  Never going to leave; just wish the house was all on one level.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Never trifle with a cat for they are cunning and you sleep with your mouth open."

All Saint's Day.

The black tomcat was in the garage this morning waiting for his morning munchies, so no worry from Halloween.  He is a nice cat, friendly and tame; I bet someone "dropped" him off here thinking he would be good with all the other cats that come and go, there are always 2 or 3 lounging on the front porch or the yard when the weather is nice.  Irresponsible people, what kind of example do they set for their children?  One of my "pet" peeves.  Ho ho.

We were way down on the number of trick-or-treaters this year, I guess because the weather was so bad.  I sat in the open garage rather than on the front porch, to at least have shelter from the rain and some protection from the wind.  I saw a bunch of princess costumes as well as witches and Dracula; some pirates and one Minnie Mouse and one Dorothy, really cute.  *But* this means there was a lot of candy left over; toward the end of the time I just gave out handfuls of candy, and C took a bunch to work this morning, but there is still some left.  Munch munch.

We actually have sunshine today, temp is 64 and it is very welcome.  The dreary cold weather will start before long.  Sunday is 'fall back' day when we gain an hour, meaning starting Sunday six pm will be dark like 7 pm is now.  I never have understood the rationale behind monkeying with the clocks.  About half the time we forgot and ended up going to work an hour early on Monday.  I think.

The power today has been flickering, messing up the clocks and the computers.  I guess the UPS for the desktop isn't holding a charge anymore and needs to be replaced, as a one second outage is dropping the connection and the power.  Right now I am on the MacBook,  so I'm good for several hours.  I hope.

When I was 11 or 12 a neighbor and I arranged to go trick-or-treating together, in our neighborhood in Miami.  That evening my mom picked a fight with me about a trivial thing - dinner dishes, I think - and said I couldn't go.  Looking back, she did this several times, on one pretext or another; I think she was afraid  to let me out on the streets in the dark, but couldn't say so, hence the argument.  After that, we always went to the church- sponsored party, which was fun,  as I recall it was sometimes a barbecue or a haunted house, or in the youth hall.  Our neighborhood was a very safe one, not like now, but kids did still get in trouble, although it was pretty small potatoes, like TPing a house, or soaping a window or the like.  Here where we live now, the houses are far apart and most parents drive their kids from driveway to driveway.  When our kids were young they went with the babysitter's son in their trailer park, almost as good as an apartment building.  I went along, but I have a terrible sense of direction and depended on the boy to get us back to their place.  It was great fun, and the weather always cooperative.  The controversy that churches have about the holiday are pretty much non- existent here, at least so far.  I have never understood the diatribes about Halloween, it is not like the kids are holding ceremonies with the devil, they are collecting candy!  Good fun for everyone and good work for dentists too.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Let's face it:  Your only hope is the"Lottery."

S**wing outside

NO!  I told myself that fall is far too fleeting (alliteration there) to take for granted but myself didn't listen.  This is the view from the dining room at an ambitious snow flurry.  You can see that the trees have not yet shed all their leaves yet, but tonight will probably do them in, as well as the porch flowers.  The flowers are looking pretty whipped already, but there are a few blooms hanging on.  I will  miss them.  We bagged the outside chair cushions and stored them away earlier today; 40 degrees is a little cool to be lounging outside, no matter what the view.

I am totally ticked at my knitting project, a scarf that is supposed to be a gift.  I dropped 3 stitches in the middle of the 125th row (of 250 total) and they 'ran' (like a stocking) down several rows.  I tried to catch them and hang them again, but I just can't.  If I could ravel it back to the row before this I would, but that would only leave me with the entire thing off the needles, all 38 stitches of them.  So I kludged a repair that isn't too awful and went on. Hate it.  The first time on this pattern, I messed up 4 times; the second attempt only one stitch, and now this.  I have been so careful, I don't  know what went wrong.  Grrrr.

Today I got my copy of my blog from Blog2print.  They take your blog between whatever dates and come out with a hard copy, with index, and photos and your selection of a cover, and so on.  It is printed on nice magazine-type paper and bound nicely.  I did this once before, after 7 years of the blog, but I took it to Office Depot and had it spiral bound.  I had the original bound blog done because blogspot had been having trouble ( this is when it was run by blogexplosion) and I was afraid I'd lose the entire thing.  I couldn't figure out how to just download the entries, and in the end, a hard copy is better all around.  Now no matter how the computer interfaces change (floppies to CDs to thumb drives, for example), I have a hard copy.  The copy that came today is for the last 3 years, beginning with the entry when I found out I had breast cancer.  Reading through it, I am pretty pleased, it sounds more coherent than I thought it would,  since usually I only glance back at the previous entries.

Bumper sticker: "Don't get me started.  I don't come with brakes."

Wondering

I have been writing this blog since 2004 and in all that time I think I have gotten less than 150 comments total, on hundreds and hundred of posts.  How do I go about getting a more comment-y response?  I read other blogs and write comments and my blog address, but so far that has yielded very few (like 40) remarks, most from bloggers that I didn't visit myself.  A few exceptions (and I thank you for that).  When I read back over my posts, they sounds reasonably coherent and rant-free; is it that the topics are too boring?

I stand corrected: there have been 430+ comments, including 50 or so from just the last 8 posts.  But why aren't these being posted?  I can read them on the http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8929312#publishedcomments page, but not here with the posts.  What gives?

Any insights into this will be much appreciated.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Does your train of thought have a caboose?"

Photographer extraordinaire

Well, not really.  I have been doing some photos outdoors this week, but I am not satisfied with the results yet.  I wish there were some way to get a higher elevation, so I can look down on the house and the front yard foliage.  I have been known to climb a ladder to photograph the swimming pool (that entry is on here somewhere), but that is not high enough.  I'll wander around tomorrow, weather permitting.

I have taken several photo classes over the years.  The latest is from Better Photo, an online critiqued variety; the problem is a combination of the high price per class, and having to devote a great amount of time to the assignments.  They have been sending me emails nearly everyday, and I guess they are suffering from a downturn of students due to the economics of the day, less discretionary funds to go around;  I know I don't currently have $395, for an 8 week course, to do this.

Am I scary enough?

This is BC who thinks she actually fits in this box.  It looks like she burst out of it.

Bumper Sticker:  "Sometimes life just sucks the jelly right out of your donut."

Sliding Right Along

Well, I kinda let things slide here for a bit, but I promise to do better.  Or at least make the attempt. 

It is 5 am and I am finally sleepy again, so I will work on this tomorrow when I am not so zombie-ish.

This is my daughter, at the pumpkin place we went to on Saturday.  So much to see!  A live band, all kinds of vendors, flowers everywhere.  I amazed myself at all the walking I did, mostly due to having a shopping cart to push and keep my balance.
It has been several years since we were there, we must remember to go again next year.

I am slowly working on the third knitted scarf, like the first one but without the errors.  It is white, with a lovely soft hand.  This one will be a gift.  Assuming all goes well.

It is very foggy here this morning, everything outside sounds muffled.  The bird feeders are still being used pretty much all day, I worry that this mild start in weather will hamper their migration, maybe we should take the feeders down?  This is the first year for them, all the outdoor cats are now too fat and too lazy to lie in wait for a bird snack.  One of the outdoor cats has disappeared, a tomcat; they come and go, looking for love (of the female cat kind) I guess.  Maybe he will turn up again.  He is a black cat, I worry when I don't see them near Halloween.


I got my hair cut and I hate it.  Maybe it will be OK once it grows out a bit.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "I've got a perfect body but it's in the trunk and beginning to smell."

Fall

Fall, my favorite season, has begun, and I love it.  Cool crisp days, a little breeze, the leaves just beginning to turn, it is all so beautiful.  I thought about posting a photo here, but decided to wait until the leaves are more striking.  One good frost will do it.  I do realize that my last post extolled the beautiful fall season, but every day brings more color and the feel of crispy leaves underfoot.

The horses are feeling fall too, jumping into the air and bucking.  For 20+ year old horses, it is pretty neat to watch, although I hold my breath every time, these geriatric horses that think they are still colts.  It will break my heart when it is time for them to go.

My heart catheterization went OK, the worst part was the waiting in the little cubical to get started.  The results were a good heart for my age.  I think the next is to check the electrical circuits, see if I need a new battery or whatever.  I won't know much until I see the heart doctor in October; I  know she will recommend that I lose weight.  Sigh.  I did get the final cap on my broken tooth, so I can eat on both sides of my mouth.  Heaven forbid that I curtail my eating.  My only souvenir of the heart cath is a pretty big bruise on my arm where they inserted the catheter.  

Did I mention the knitting forum swap?  There are a lot of different kinds but they all work the same.  Each swap has a theme, and the one I am signed up for is the color wheel.  Evey month there is a different color.  This month's is pink; you get whatever is pink to send along to your swap partner (a different one every month) and they do the same for me.  There is a dollar amount, but I always overspend and then have to pare down the items.  It is a lot of fun, seeing what you get, anything from candy and coin purses, to (always of course) yarn.  I always love to get packages in the mail.

Time to go.
Here is the bumper sticker for the day:  "If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?"

An Early Fall Day

Having a lovely day today, the sky a clear blue and just warm enough.  I suppose we will still have some hot days, but for this weekend it is pool closing time.  I had only 3 times in the pool all summer.  Even when the water was warm enough, we had lightning storms nearly every afternoon/evening.  A pool is not where you want to be when lightning is around.

My luck with doctors is continuing, as the oncologist I saw sent me for an echocardiogram and chest x-ray, when I told him about my breathlessness.  They showed that my EF (?) was low, and to follow up with the cardiologist who would call me with an appointment.  So far no call, but taking the meds prescribed by the oncologist.  Guess I will have to follow up with the oncology office.  I don't even know the name of the doctor who is to contact me.

I saw the trailer for the new Riddick movie, starring Vin Diesel, a couple of days ago.  I want to see it (I really like the Riddick character), but it looks a little, um, intense.  I think I will wait until it comes out in DVD to watch it.  That way, if it gets to be too much, I can stop it and come back to it after a break.  And the cost of going to the movies!  $9.00 and then the absurd price for drinks and popcorn.  Makes buying the DVD sound quite reasonable.

Can't think of anything else to day, so hang in there, I'll do better next time.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "I've lost my mind and I'm pretty sure the kids took it."

Senior Moments

A senior citizen drove his brand new Corvette convertible out of the dealership.  Taking off down the road, he floored it to 80 mph, enjoying the wind blowing through what little gray hair he had left.  "Amazing," he thought as he flew down I-94, pushing the pedal even more.  Looking in his rear view mirror, he saw a state trooper behind him, lights flashing and siren blaring.  He floored it to 100 mph, then 110, then 120.  Suddenly he thought, "What am I doing?  I'm too old for this," and pulled over to await the trooper's arrival.  Pulling in behind him, the trooper walked up to the Corvette, looked at his watch, and said, "Sir, my shift ends in 30 minutes.  Today is Friday.  If you can give me a reason for speeding that I've never heard before, I'll let you go."

 

The old gentleman paused.  Then he said, "Years ago, my wife ran off with a State trooper.  I thought you were bringing her back."

"Have a good day, sir," replied the trooper.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "If at first you don't succeed then skydiving is not for you."

Pen-sive

I just love pens.  Fountain pens by Parker, vintage, are my favorite, but any clever or ordinary pen that writes nicely will do.  When I worked, I had this huge ceramic pot completely filled with pens.  When co-workers asked if I had, say, a red pen, I would pretend to study the big pot, and then give them whatever they needed, no return expected.

But when I got re-assigned to a lab, I only worked there long enough to give myself a nervous breakdown, and was on sick leave for 2 months.  I came back to collect my stuff for another job (which was wonderful) and found Dr. A. had taken all my retractable gel pens.  I guess he thought I had bought them somehow with his grant money, even though I had no access to his money and had bought all those pens myself (or maybe he thought finders keepers (he was from Ethiopia, maybe property is handled differently there) or maybe he thought I wouldn't be coming back)  I saw him writing with one particular pen, a Sarasa, that came multi-colored  and archival quality, so especially useful when writing up lab data.  But what was I supposed to do, snatch it out of his hand?  Anyway, I just found these same pens while ordering a new calendar, and today they came.  I am pleased all out of proportion to the value or scarcity of these pens; I feel like I won another round with Dr. A**hole.  Pardon my french.

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Why be difficult, when with a bit of effort, you can be impossible?"

Appointments

I'm sitting here waiting to leave for a visit with the surgeon.  Next week I see the oncologist and the following week, the dentist, and then the new therapist.  Of all of these I dread the dentist the most.  I broke a tooth on Monday and the dentist was able to patch it up, so I can get by until that date to do a crown.  I hate it, the impression gags me and laying all the way upside down makes me feel faint.  Xanax beforehand.  No pretzels beforehand!   I called the derm doctor for an appt., and the soonest she has an opening is December!  Must be a good practice.  I have known her since she was a student in the lab where I worked, or I would probably change doctors to one closer to me. I seem to be failing one system at a time...

Speaking of failing, DH pulled a tendon in his heel, and the chiro that he goes to wrapped it, for support, like the athletes' ankles are wrapped.  When DH took it off two days later, he had a mammoth blister on the top of his foot where the bandage rubbed.  Now he has no bandage and I refuse to re-wrap it until he sees the chiro on Friday.  Meanwhile he can't get a shoe on, only his slippers.
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Back from the doctor, now I have to have another procedure done.  My insurance coverage is top-notch, fortunately.

My kids (now grown) went to a Catholic school for grades 1 to 6.  Today in the grocery store I saw a little girl wearing the school uniform that my daughter did, a plaid skirt in green, red and black.  It took me back; such a benefit to have a uniform, no arguments about what matches, or too tight or too short, etc.  I fully support all schools having uniforms for their students, in addition to the benefits above, there is no competition about who has nicer clothes, designer jeans, t-shirts with questionable slogans, and on and on.  Maybe in another 20 years...

Bumper sticker for the day:  "He who hesitates is not only lost, but miles from the next exit."

Knitting

Here is my first patterned knitted item, a scarf about 5 feet long. I have made hats, but the only garment I made I raveled back, it had such severe goofs in it.  So here it is my best item to date.  (Using my guitar for a prop.)

Maybe (horse) is running around the barn screaming, for no apparent reason.  Guess I'll go check it out.  Back later.

OK, she has stopped with all the screaming, still can't figure out what set her off .  One of those horsey things.

I am doing another scarf, while the pattern is fresh in my mind.  Not that it is complicated, but I want this one to be error free.  If that is even possible.  I have been machine knitting off and on for years, but I am determined to learn how to do other then straight stockinette stitch..  I am pretty pleased how this is going.  I know people say, why go to so much trouble when you can buy knitted things so cheaply?  But if you want a certain color, a certain style or fit, you could look a looonngg time and never find just what you want.  Plus, it is enjoyable to knit (as long as it is going OK.) One of a kind, too.

I am sitting here dyeing (my hair) and boy does it stink.  You would think it would destroy your hair, all those chemicals, but my hair actually behaves better right after being colored.  When my hair grew back after the chemo treatment, I left it gray for several weeks, and I would flinch every time I saw myself in a mirror, the grey made me look sickly and drab.  It took many treatments before I got my chosen color back, but I am being real particular now to keep it done.  I sure would like to be a "grandma", but not look like one.  Not that it is likely I will ever have a grandchild, both D and S are adamant about that, and given the state the world is in now I guess I can see why.  Maybe if  I rented a kid for a weekend I would change my mind.  My aunt says she kinda felt like me until she had her grandnephew for a few days, when she was glad to welcome peace and quiet back.  But think of all the baby stuff I could knit!

Bumper sticker for the day:  "Never argue with an idiot.  They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience."

Wordless Wednesday

Bumper sticker of the day:  "Editing is a rewording activity."