Wanderingly Random Wednesday

I am still unfocused. I spun Saturday, Sunday and Monday, but forgot Tuesday because I was doing yardwork. I had come to the conclusion that my city officials might place some sort of signage in my yard “Wildlife Refuge” or “Jungle Habitat”. With the wet spring and the warm weather, everything has grown like mad. I cut the forsythia back 3′ and had cut it back the same last year. I have a dandelion that is immense.

Can you see the dandelion leaves among the fully mature iris leaves?  That is one honkin’ big dandelion.  I don’t think I can dig this sucker up.  I’m afraid I might have to use explosives.

I also, randomly, have a picture of my red scarf.  Ta-Da!

Can you see the purdy next to my scarf?  Well, folks, that is an entirely different post.  Suffice it to say, it has a place of honor in my home.  Handy when I need it.  A hug from a dear friend.  I will post about it soon.  I don’t want to cry all over my keyboard.  I might short this one out, too;-P

So, since the week is now officially half over, and it’s Wednesday, too, I want to leave you with the soundtrack of my day. Mr. Bob Dylan and one of my favorite songs of all time “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues”.  This is a great video, too.  Enjoy.

Have a great one!!!!!!

Wow. The economy affected July 4th!

I gotta tell you, I didn’t really expect it to affect the 4th. Those folks that love fireworks and will spend a paycheck on it usually will do so, even if they don’t really have it. Not this year. Sure, there were fireworks, but not like in the past. By 11:00 Saturday night, it was all over. Not sure about the fat lady. I fell asleep.  Grover and I went over to my BB and BSIL’s and enjoyed ourselves.  We moseyed on home about 7:00 and hung out until I got tired and went to bed.    I didn’t see Esau Marie until Sunday afternoon.  The weather was unusually cool and damp.  Now, a heat up.  It is July and it is Middle Earth.  Still, I got a feel for the fall and I liked it.  I am still knitting away on the stealth project, but have come to the realization that I need to concentrate on it and cannot watch television.  No big deal.

I’m also working on the red scarf.  I need to get a shot of it and show you.  I am slow, so it takes me a while to get very far.  Still, it is pretty and I feel good about it.  I was blessed with a wonderful and loving Mom and Dad.  It’s good to pass a bit of that love along.

I feel dull and uninteresting.  I really do.  Weekends are the hardest for me, so I think I will blog Tuesday and not Mondays.

My soundtrack for today?  How about the Four Tops and “Baby, I Need Your Lovin’”

Have a good one!!!

This may not be a holiday, but it is FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alrighty. It’s Friday. The last workday of this workweek. Once again, it has come around. It never ceases to amaze me. It’s almost like……clockwork!  HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So.  Are you all ready for the 4th of July excitement?  I don’t know myself.  I’m going over to my BB and BSIL’s house for the afternoon and evening.  I think I’ll leave the big boy home if it’s hot or rainy.  He’s stinky (I know, it’s a shock to you) when he’s hot and wet, and it will be noisy.  He is mostly unaffected by bangs and pops and thunder.  Esau Marie is a different story.  She freaks.  Poor little baby.  Such a dumb little thing.  She does have her basement to hide in, so I don’t worry too much about her.  I still don’t like taking a chance that some idiot will aim a bottle rocket at my “kidz”, so they will be inside with the television set on kinda loud.  Overprotective?  Ya think?

I was knitting away on my sock during lunch at work and realized that I had dropped a stitch.  ALARM!!!  No crochet hook.  My only alternative was to put it away.  Meh.  And, the stealth knitting?  I cannot wait to show you what I’m working on.  Oh, and now I’m feeling bad and think I should knit a scarf for Norma’s college kids. I always need to give.  I have been blessed with so much.  Would it hurt me?  I better check the deadline before I start a scarf that won’t be finished in time.  I do have time.  The deadline (the last one) is December 15.  I can do that.  And, I can show you my progress while working on the stealth projects, too.  Brilliant!

My Friday soundtrack.  Oh, my.  If this is a celebratory weekend, then let’s get it going with some good old rock ‘n roll!  The Rolling Stones and “Satisfaction”.  It’s old and it’s wonderful.

Have a wonderful 4th and a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy July Oneth!

Is it Wednesday already?  I was knitting away last evening (on the stealth gift) and thinking, damn it would be great to be able to blog about this.  But, noooooooooo, I can’t.  It would ruin the surprise.  So, I will chat with you about my first solitary BBQ.  I grilled boneless skinless chicken thighs and turkey burgers last night.  Just for me.  I plan on heating up the leftovers and having those for lunches and dinners.  How was it, you ask?  It was just fine.  I would have loved to share it with someone, but I also figured it wouldn’t hurt me one iota to fix myself good tasting/good for me food.

I’m going to have a contest.  I haven’t decided when yet, but it will be for the number of stitches on PurplePi.  Don’t you think that will be just so much fun?  Well, maybe for  you.  I will be counting those stitches as I put them on waste yarn.  So far, it’s, how you say, daunting;-P

So, without a picture of my way cool knitting (can you tell I’m happy with it?), I got nothin.  Nothing except that it’s hump day and we’re midway through the week and then this weekend we can listen to the bangs and pops and watch the pretty lights in the sky.  I’m planning on rain here.  In Middle Earth, they never predict rain for the 4th, but without fail, it has rained sometime on the 4th of July for the past few years.  Doesn’t matter does it?  It’s still a celebration.  Just a few more days and it will be here!

My soundtrack for the day is by The Beatles.  I think I’ve used it before, but I do like it so much.  “In My Life”

Have a good one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Srsly, folks, I have a finished object

I finished the Tonks socks!!!! Yes. Really. I did. They were part of a KAL that I signed up for….to knit a pair of socks each quarter. I’m a quarter behind, but it doesn’t matter because I finished the Tonks socks!!!!    And, yes, thank you for noticing they are fraternal twins.  I love ‘em.

Now, lest you think I’m slacking (any more than normal anyway),  here is the next pair of take-a-long socks.  It’s the Seaside colorway Lorna’s Laces that Peanut got me in Chicago.  I love how they’re knitting up.

Cool, huh?

I have also cast on for BSIL’s Christmas gift.  This is only about the 9th time I have cast on for this *@!)*( thing.  Now, I’m mad and I refuse to give up.  I spent Sunday morning knitting and ripping four different times.  It’s going relatively well now, but I’m not going to get over-confident.  I wish I could show it to you.  The yarn is beginning to get a bit worn out at the beginning, but now I’m into the “neverbeforerippedbutthere’sstill time” sections.

Other than the sock news and the gift knitting, I don’t have much to show for my weekend.  I’m trying to be good to myself and allow myself the time I need to heal.  This was a weekend of doing little things for me, like spending Sunday knitting.  Of course, the pup gets in on the action.  I think I could get a Rat Terrier or Maltese from his fur.  Here is a pile of excess fur next to the boy from Sunday.  I got the same size (or a bit bigger) pile from him on Saturday.  The heat has him shedding like mad. That, plus he had a tummy problem on Sunday and so he kinda just hung out and rested.

BTW, our heat has broken.  It was in the 80’s yesterday and is supposed to be in the mid to upper 80’s all week.  It’s wonderful.  No more whining (at least about the heat, right?).

My soundtrack today is from Hair.  “Where do I go?”

Have a good one!!!!!!!

P.S.  I started putting PurplePi on waste yarn.  I’m not off even one needle and have 700 stitches.  Be afraid.  Be very afraid;-P

HAPPY HOT FRIDAY!!!!

Finally, it’s Friday. A hot Friday at that. I think I have been a pretty good sport about this icky hot weather. Grover went to his cageless kennel for a play day on Wednesday and they spent the day spraying him with water and letting him play in the wading pool. He was wet.again. Windows down and dog fur flying and the stink of big wet dog. The car will never recover. But, he was a tired and happy boy. Hungry, too.  But, enough about Wednesday.  Today is Friday.  The beginning of the last weekend of June, 2009.  By Wednesday this next week, June will be but a memory.  Poetic, huh?

On the knitting front?  Sock.  I’m still working on the Tonks sock.  The second one.  I seem to have misplaced the completed first one.  I know it’s somewhere, just not the specific where.  I have about 2-1/2 more inches on the foot and then the toe.  I’m planning on winding yarn and starting another pair this weekend.  It’s too hot to knit shawls or sweaters right now.  The idea of wool on my skin makes me feel all ooky/icky inside.  I think I’ve turned into a major wimp.  I knit Victoriashawlfromhell in July.  Got KSH all over me, but it didn’t stop me.  Now, the thought of wool makes me itchy this time of year.  That could also be because I get hives nearly every day from alien pollen or something or other.  Each day is a new experience, hive-wise.  Last night I had showered and gone to bed and started scratching my legs.  I had hives all over them.  Why?  No bloody clue.  My body is like a little brother/sister.  It likes to screw with me sometimes.

So, this weekend?  It’s supposed to be veryveryveryhot on Saturday.  Then, just sorta hot on Sunday.  After about 95F, it doesn’t really matter much.  It’s just bloody damned hot.  I might try to cut the lawn, but will spend a great deal of time trying to avoid it.  I will also spend time knitting and other fun things we get to do on weekends.   Just not outside.   Are  you planning fun stuff?  I hope you are.  I live vicariously through you all;-D

I will leave you with my soundtrack.  Davey Ruffin and the Temptations and “My Girl”

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

P.S.  I promise to try and not whine so much next week if it’s still really hot;-P

Monkey Brain 1, Balanced Mind 0

We all know that I am a slow knitter. This is not news nor is it new. Yet, the eternal optimist dork in me has found a new pattern/kit she absolutely must have. It’s the “Biscuit Blanket”. This is entirely Emiko’s fault.  I was just merrily reading her post (she has been notoriously bad about keeping me up to date on Frankie, her new kitty) and I followed the link and fell in love.  This is the absolute most perfectous wedding/shower/all around neat gift and I have a friend who is moving to Chicago and she doesn’t drink tea(no need for the cosy) and I honestly can’t knit a bunch of warshrags for this particular friend.  She’s quite sophisticated and urbane.  Although I love them, I’m not sure she would appreciate their true value.  Therefore and ergo, a biscuit blanket.  I will most definitely keep you all posted.  She’s leaving the end of July, so this is a crunch knit, of course.

It is still hellish here in Middle Earth.  I can barely get Grover out to pee and he’s back at the door whining to get in.  Poor baby.  We walk and he lasts about 10-15 minutes and then his tongue is practically dragging on the ground.  We have been weatherweinies this week because neither one of us like the hot.  Do you think I can “will” the grass not to grow so it won’t need cutting for a while?  I look at my back yard and it is truly an unruly jungle mess of greenery (alot of which I don’t want), but when Mom was ill I was unable to get out there to take care of the problem, so now it’s a mass of wildness.  This wildness includes some pretty impressive poison ivy.  I am a naturalist at heart….until you get me near poison ivy.  I spent a month a couple of summers ago as miserable as I could be with poison ivy on the backs of my legs, so I use chemicals to destroy my poison ivy when it gets big.  When it’s little, I just take a grocery bag (one reason to keep a few around) and use it as a glove and pull the sucker out of the ground and wrap it in the grocery bag.  This year I have two plants that were over 3′ tall.  I got one with the spray, but the second one just lost a couple of leaves.  Virulent bugger, huh?  His days are numbered.

BTW, I joined Cookie’s team “CrankyPants” for the Tour de Fleece this year.  Maybe, now that a bit of the pressure is off I can spend some time spinning.  It starts on July 4th, so  I have time to prepare.  That only means dust the spinning wheel and make sure it’s well lubricated.  I also joined the 2009 Summer of Socks.  Not because I plan on knitting 3 or 4 pair, but because, once again this is Cookie’s fault, this is a no-stress group.  I can probably knit a sock or two this summer.  Don’t ya think? Maybe, Cookie was inviting somebody else, but she wasn’t exclusive so I took her up on the offer.  That’ll teach her;-P

So, as I randomly (it is Wednesday after all) mosey on, I will leave you with my soundtrack of the day……The Temptations once again with “The Way You do the Things You do”.

Have a good one!!!!!!!!!

Whew. It’s hot and it’s Monday.

We have been under some sort of heat warning for the past few days. The whole weekend was h.o.t. We’ve had clouds, sun, rain, you name it. But, no matter what, it’s been hot. So, you’d figure I stayed at home and remained cool.
Nah, not so much. My BB is in the West (Yosemite) for the week and my BSIL and I went to Soulard for fruits and veggies. Soulard is the biggest farmer’s market in our parts. It was interesting, but hot. Crowded and very hot. We want to do it again, but we will be there much earlier. Because, you guessed it, it was hot.
We came back to my house to put the perishables away and then headed to Penzey’s for cooking spices. I love that place. Penzey’s is based in Brookfield, WI, where my Mom was raised, so we’ve been customers for a long long time. When they opened the St. Louis store, we were thrilled. It’s a regular stop for us. After that, we went to Knitorious and shopped for yarn. I was extremely well behaved and bought just one skein of sock yarn. Dreams in Color Starry. It’s new to me and I really like it.

Blurry though it may be.  Time did not heal my lack of photography skills.  But, then, I didn’t think it would.  Anyway, it’s all sparkly and purdy.

After Knitorious, we went to lunch at Zia’s on the Hill.  It was fabulous.  If you ever visit this part of Middle Earth, you must run, not walk, to the Hill neighborhood.  It’s worth it.  After a wonderful lunch, we went to the wine shop.  We purchased a few bottles of wine and then moseyed on home.

On Sunday, we picked Peanut up from the train station.  She had gone to Chicago to visit Lil Bit for a few days.  From the train station, we went to Duff’s in the Central West End.  It was terrific.  We sat outside and it wasn’t really uncomfortable until we were leaving.  Peanut brought both her Mom and me pressies from Loopy, a terrific yarn shop in Chicago.  Here is my gorgeous yarn.

I love it dearly.  I think it wants to be socks.

And, to prove to you that I did knit this weekend……..a bit.  Here is my warshrag.

I know.  It’s not much, but as hot as it is, it is all I had in me.  I need a cool front to knit anything with wool in it right now.

My soundtrack today???

The original Temptations and “Get Ready”.  This should get you moving this morning!!!

Have a good one!

Oops, I forgot

My apologies for the lateness of the announcement. It’s Friday, but I forgot.

Have a great weekend.

It’s Wednesday and I am random

Mid week. We have had about 6″ of rain in two days. I slosh when I walk now.
So, because I feel random but have nothing to say, I will leave you with my soundtrack.
Another literal video. “Losing my Religion” by REM.  It’s not as funny as the first one, but I laughed.

Have a good one!!!