Lovely

1. Ice storm moved in on Thursday.

2. Snowed all day Friday.

3. I'm sick today.

Lovely.

The ice storm cometh

January is ending on an icy note. After living in Southern California for so many years, I'm having a difficult time getting use to having "weather"...

I had a grocery store list to shop for yesterday. Normal shopping...no big deal, right? Wrong. My first clue should have been when I had a difficult time finding a parking space. But it didn't hit me what was going on until I couldn't find a grocery cart. Everyone was getting ready for today's ice storm. Must be serious.

Well they must have lived here longer then I have....so they probably know what they are doing! OK, I stocked up on bottled water as we are on a well....if electricity goes out, so does water for us. And firewood is stacked by the fireplace to keep it dry...for it to keep us warm. Plus we have plenty of batteries for flashlights. I should be ready. ;)

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Family members have had numerous doctor appointments this month. Plus daughter is starting vision therapy. That means I've spent most of my days driving from one appointment to the next for most of January. Subsequently there hasn't been much time for knitting, and even less to update the blog about knitting. And this is primarily a knitting blog, right? Hopefully next time.

Round Tuit's

The month of January is always busy...every year. I use to wonder why that was. Then I realized it's because I put things off starting in late November until after the new year. I am happily immersed in holiday happenings and do not want to be bothered with mundane issues like doctor appointments, phone calls, insurance, etc. Then in January - I get "round tuit"



and become a functioning adult again. It is nice to be able to mark off the "to-do" list instead of add to it.

One of my "round tuit's" was to decide on a pattern for this yarn

that I mentioned in October. After looking through a few patterns that this yarn would work for, I decided on Slinky Ribs Pullover. And I have enough in my stash to do it in my size without cheating on my yarn diet! Funny thing - I knitted the sample for Knit Picks (seen in the link) and it's the same yarn and color that I have stashed. Seems like destiny to me.

Confessions of a yarn-addict

My resolution to keep knitting from yarn stash was broken last night. I couldn't help it...it was love at first sight. These cuties are a kit from Knit Picks


And the kit includes yarn for each fox.

Dang...tempted by big brown eyes, red hair, and the promise of a cuddle (haha)

Oh well. I mustn't let one slip up discourage me from this yarn diet but I really have to stop looking at every yarn catalog that shows up!

As the temperatures drop....

...my "to-do" list gets longer. That's the only problem with vacation, must-do's wait for you to return. And so I've spent this week taking down Christmas decorations and taking family members to various doctor appointments. But I did it (mostly) with a smile as I remember the last two weeks of 2009.

We started our vacation with family. A joyous Christmas with my Mother, sister and her family. Chatting, eating, and playing with toys....what a great Christmas!



From East Texas, we took the RV to San Antonio for a little fun. For the first time since our move to Oklahoma, the 3 of us had some fun!!

We went to seaworld...


took a boat ride on the San Antonio Riverwalk....


went to the Alamo (of course)...


and ate out every night. I had a chance to work on Shipwreck and get it to the point of adding beads as well as watch a little of Lost season 5 (a Christmas present) to get ready for Feb 2nd. ;D


I also started a pair of gloves for hubby. He told me he has never had a pair of gloves that fit right. Well, he will soon. I am designing this pattern specifically to fit his sausage fingers (his words).


At the end of two weeks, we came home to this....



...the remains of the Christmas Eve blizzard in OK City. It's now ice as the temperatures hover in the 20's during the day...and single digits at night. Cold and slippery.

But it's OK...I don't live in North Dakota were the temperatures have a minus sign in front of them. Nice positive note to end this post on as Elvis says he needs to go out.

Dear 2010

Welcome....a little late but better late then....

I am so very happy to greet you! You came just when I thought 2009 would never leave (good riddance!)

I believe you have potential. You are young yet but I see huge things for you. Just stay away from fire(s) unless it's in the fireplace, and please keep the wet to a minimum (or at least keep it outside).

Here is to a continued "knit from stash" year!

Happy Holidays

As we pack up the motor home for our Christmas trip, I wanted to wish you all the joys of the season.

Norman Rockwell

Happy Holidays from our home to yours.

One year ago today...

...the driveway broke my ankle*.


Today, we break the driveway looking for a water pipe leak.

Some kind of crazy justice? Fate's expensive joke? sigh...

(*Actually it broke when I stumbled but I was walking on the driveway!)

3 weeks later

My intentions are good with regard to blogging...really. But for the past 3 weeks, I haven't been near the computer except to respond to email if needed.

My Mother was here for the first two weeks. We had so much to say to each other. She hasn't been able to stay at my house in many years as a trip to California was difficult for her (she is 86). Oklahoma is a much easier trip from Texas where she lives.

It was a wonderful visit. She had Thanksgiving meal with us. Helped us decorate for Christmas.




She even considered bowling with us on league night but decided to watch instead as the logistics of walking cane and sending the ball down the lane was daunting. :)

She and my mother-in-law met for the first time. Gary and I have been married for 27 years but never managed to get the two together before. Very special. (And did I remember to get pictures? Of course not! geesh)

We also managed to get together with her younger brother and his wife (my uncle and aunt) whom she hasn't seen in probably 10 years. We had to meet at the hospital as their younger son (my cousin) had a heart attack and was admitted for observation and testing. (He's out and doing well now)


I drove her home last weekend. But no need to feel sad! We will be visiting her for Christmas. There is something to love about the move to Oklahoma...family!

While she was here, I found a little time to knit in the evenings. And it's for me! The Shipwreck Shawl on Knitty. ummm...yeah....I'm thinking about the last season of Lost. Is it February 2nd yet??



For the past few days, I have had last minute knitting to do for my to-be-released Leisure Arts publication. A couple of additional projects to round out the booklet. Yarn and looms have taken over my dining room table...



...but should be cleaned up (finished!) by the weekend. I'm looking forward to seeing the end results!

So...did you even miss me? ;)

I wondered what that sound was

Earthquake Rattles Choctaw Homes

Having been through a few quakes in So. California, this one was more like like a sonic boom. It wasn't recognizable as an earthquake to me.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thinking About Thanksgiving

As I mentioned in my last post, I need to think about Thanksgiving. It will be a busy time for me as my Mother will be here for 2 weeks. That's in addition to having my Mother-in-law, and of course, my daughter. So I think this will be the last post until December.

A friend did a meme about Thanksgiving and it seems appropriate for here since I have nothing to mention regarding knitting.

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving is as special as our's will be.

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?
While I prefer cooking at my house, visiting family/friends is good also.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?
Typically frozen turkey breast. Any other part is wasted in our house.

3. What kind of stuffing?
I'm from the south. Cornbread dressing with loads of sage. ;)

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?
Normally neither. We always do a sweet potato dish that doesn't include crust. However, my daughter has discovered a love of pumpkin pies so I am making one. My Mother, however, wants sweet potato pie and she can taste the difference in the two. I'll probably buy one since I have never made one before - or Mom has to coach me. :)

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?
That's the point!! After all that work, there should be something left to show for it. haha

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?
Green beans. I have no idea why that is a tradition for my husband's family but he makes a point of mentioning it if I forget to do them. And deviled eggs. That's a must have for him too.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?
I don't buy the whole turkey so no carcass.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?
Talent for cooking! That would make it much easier. I mean, I'm a fine cook but I have no "sixth sense" for it. Luckily I have a husband who does and can "fix" anything I mess up. :)

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?
I do not like "crack of dawn" for anything! But I do if I have to. Normally I try to get some of the work started the night before. But I do like having dinner ready early afternoon that way there's plenty of time for a 2nd helping before bed.

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring?
In the past, I have made cheese cakes to take to friend's house in California. I know, not traditional. But we're the folks who have been known to BBQ ribs for Thanksgiving so our tradition changes year-to-year. haha

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house?
That darn green bean casserole. It's been overdone IMO.

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see?
When either my or my husband's family gets together, there drama of some sort. Sad really. But this year, it should be Mothers only. Small and intimate gathering of elderly where the worse problem should be lack of hearing aids. haha

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu?
Pecan pie! I don't care if we're having sweet potato and pumpkin....I want pecan pie!! And I'm the chief cook....so there.

14. What are you thankful for this year?
This year, I will count all my blessings from 2009 - looking on the bright side and not necessarily in order...

• Husband and daughter top my list of blessings always.
  
• No surgery was needed for my broken ankle
• Our house survived the April wildfire
• Mother-in-law is healthier now that she is in assisted living
• I met the deadline for my next publication
• We've reconnected with extended family now that we live closer
• My Mother is coming to stay with us for two weeks during Thanksgiving
• Many things I haven't thought of yet.
  

I am especially grateful to all the men and women who serve our Country. They have been on my mind a great deal with the news of Ft Hood shootings. Being a veteran, I know how stressful it is to serve overseas but that was during peace times. I can't imagine the stress of serving during war/conflict. Thank you.

Norman Rockwell

The Native American in me...

....loves being close to nature. That's one reason why we love living outside of metropolitan areas. (I'm a descendant of Pawnee Tribe on my maternal Grandfather side).

In our little area, we see deer and hear hawks daily. Today I snapped a photo of a hawk in the woods out the backyard area.

I *believe* he's a red tailed hawk. Beautiful and majestic.

We pay homage to the Native American background in our art work also. A lithograph of Frank McCarthy's "Big Medicine" is one in our collection.

About 4 years ago, I read about buffalo yarn and knew I wanted to give it a try. It's not an easily found yarn, nor is the price conducive to stashing it away. So when Buffalo Gold had a call for test knitters, I jumped at it. Yeah, I know....I am my worse enemy when it comes to taking on too much. But I really wanted to knit with this yarn (probably the ancestry thing again). Here it is before winding into a ball.


It's worth every penny if you can get your hands on it. I never imagined that bison (buffalo) hair could be turned into this soft yarn.

And speaking of Native Americans...I had a reality check yesterday. Thanksgiving is 2 weeks away. While I'm happy to see 2009 coming to a close (it's been a tough year), I'm amazed at how fast it's leaving!

Back to finishing up the Leisure Arts publication I'm doing. Both it and the test knit should be finished this week. Then I need to think about holidays. How 'bout you?

Monster's bash

Last week was a week of Halloween parties. The first on Tuesday night where bowlers are invited to bowl in costume. And even though bowling in costume isn't easy, I managed one game of 191. Angela got tired of trying to bowl with her hat on...

...so finished the 3 games sans hat. Candy and cookies were had by all (nice little sugar high hehe)

Then there was the Goodwill party which was a blast! Friends, pizza...

..and dancing. Her job coach did the twist with her. Fun to watch.

Hope your trick or treat was a blast too.

Say hello to my little friend

*title is a quote from Scarface*




Too much weight gain the past year. Probably stress. Regardless of the reason, I must do something to get myself moving again!

Because of the ankle issue, I need low impact exercise. Recumbent exercise bike seemed to be the most convenient choice of low impact exercise. A little research brought this one to the top of the affordable heap. It has the card slot for iFit workout cards. But most importantly, my short legs will comfortably reach the petals (5'1" ya know!?) Plus I believe I'll be able to KNIT while exercising which is a plus.

It's a done deal. Now I just need to stay motivated and away from the chocolate.

Knitting update - sample knit for Knit Picks finished and ready to ship tomorrow. Book re-knits 1/3 done.

Absent blogger

Absent from Twitter too. I've been super busy but happily it's a good busy!

Part of the time, I've worked on the family "to-do" list.

We've managed to get the swimming pool winterized and covered...

...while Elvis watched.


We also managed to settle my 86 yo mother-in-law into her assisted living apartment, cleaned out her house in Dallas, and are in the process of selling the property.

Plus we finally found what seems to be the right program for our daughter (21 yo with disabilities) so that she has something outside of family...her "niche" so-to-speak. Because everyone needs to have something that promotes self-worth - especially folks with disabilities.

Thankfully it appears we found it! I'm thrilled to say that my daughter has decided to participate in a sheltered workshop at Goodwill.


She works two days a week. Works! She started training last week. Job coach(s) have said she is doing fine. She says she loves it. A very important item on "to-do" list done!

The other busy stuff has been knitting. On the needles, I'm doing a sample knit for Knit Picks. Getting ready to block and happy to have it that far. On the loom, I'm re-knitting a couple of my designs for an up-coming loom knit book in colors preferred by the publisher.

Of course, I'm already making plans for what I want to work on after the deadlines are met. I think I'll plan it around this yarn...
...which is already in my stash. See? I am still sticking with that yarn diet!

Wednesday Wisdom

No chaos, no creation. Evidence: the kitchen at mealtime.
Mason Cooley

Looking around my house, I must be very creative.

Knit Purl Gurl WEBS Giveaway

I love my bamboo knitting needles. I started buying them 20 plus years ago and am still knitting with them...except for 1 poor needle that Elvis "borrowed" for a chew toy (he was thoroughly yelled at for that)

Anyway, Webs Yarn Store has interchangeable bamboo circs for sale. AND Knit Purl Gurl is giving us a chance to win a set.

In case you missed the link above...here it is again. Enter...go ahead, I dare you.

If you run into problems...

...with web site, drop me an email to let me know. I did a little housekeeping and moved files around. Everything seems to work but who knows.

Yarn diet

When we packed our household stuff for the move last year, it hit me...where did all that yarn come from? Well, I know the answer but had not realized how out of control it had become.

During the pack up, I donated skeins that I couldn't remember why I got them, or if it was one of those "what was I thinking" skeins. And the remainder moved to Oklahoma with us.

During the un-packing, I attempted to organize my new workspace...and realized it was still more yarn then I'll ever use. And I donated more.

I kept that which I knew I would use. Then I put myself on a yarn diet. A serious yarn diet...with 1 exception - yarn that would be needed to finish the last book.

I'm proud to announce that almost a year later, I've stuck to my diet.


The yarn stash is starting to look manageable. I still have a bit to go before I will ease up on my diet.

I say "ease up" because I know I will always have yarn stashed. But it needs to be in my studio space only - not here AND in the garage!

Now...start watching for designs and projects that I've done just from the stash!

P.S. It's still raining. So no work in the east-side patio area to show. However, my Mother is working on rose bushes for me. She is so talented with taking cuttings and rooting them for new bushes. I'm looking forward to visiting her next month and learning how to do that! ;)