it's certifiable

i'm nuts. after getting sean's approval, i cast on the hat, and i can't put it down. i'd forgotten how much i love to knit my handspun when it's decent stuff. here's a pic:
i have to be in blair by 9 tomorrow, so there's no coming home and taking a nap after taking liam to school, and then i have to pick up the boys after school cuz sean has a doctor's appointment at 3, and then therapy, and then knit night. well, at least i'll get tons of knitting in! i may finish this hat tomorrow, lol. i promised him i'd have it done by the weekend, so he's thrilled. ok, i'm going to knit until 11, and then force myself to go to bed!

oh, and go buy this yarn. miss vi is having a hell of a year, and it's capped off by finding a lump. go, read, and buy. if nothing else, lisa souza yarn is just too good to resist!

original pic

ok, mark was able to retrieve the picture i wanted, and here it is!
the color isn't completely accurate, although it's close. the blues are more teal. and i've started the hat. sean and i did discuss it this afternoon, and he decided he wanted an earflap hat, which i have started. i think i may actually submit this pattern to the knit calendar for 2008. completely made up on my own, with short row ear flaps.

how about some red neck?

you might be a redneck if most things you enjoy carry a surgeon general's warning.
. . . you've ever missed work because of chigger bites (or skeeter bites?)
. . . your last 3 cars were auctioned off by the police.
. . . the only plane you ever saw was spraying pesticide.
. . . every pair of shorts you own used to be pants (that's not redneck, that's economical!)
. . . you've ever hot-wired a motel vibrating bed (um, yeah.)
. . . you blow your nose and check your oil using the same rag (which one comes first? my engine is cringing!)
. . . you know how many dogs will fit in a Dodge Challenger.
. . . you've ever run more than a mile in ankle restraints.
. . . the key to your city is a handcuff key.
. . . police have ever opened your front door with a battering ram.
. . . your truck has 12 bumper stickers but no inspection sticker (i'm in nebraska, we don't do inspections!)
. . . the only words you say in court are "i dunno."
. . . you think "recipe for disaster" has something to do with your wife's chili (burn, baby, burn!)
. . . your kids attend your high school graduation (as an aside, i saw on the national news tonight some guy in kenya is 86 years old and attending 3rd grade! when they announced that they were going to have free public schools, he went to the school, and asked to be allowed to attend, as he had never been to school. they refused him 4 times, and when the first day of school came, he showed up in clothing approximating the school uniform. at that point they gave up, and let him attend. he says he wants to make life better for his 15 year old grandson who lives with him (and attends the same school) and he wants to get his PhD. go, man go!)

now, i'll quit talking your ear off, and go.

promised picture

mark emailed it to me as a bitmap, and did not save it to his puter. growl. so you get a pic of it balled up:
it's got a little mauvey pink, but the turquoise and the burnt orange/brick are so strong that you can't really tell it's there. i think it will turn out cute. i will confer with him tonight as to what pattern he wants.

there's also this: my secret pal sent me this lovely ball o'yarn. this color is pretty accurate. it's 80% baby alpaca and 20% ack. sooooooo lovely. dunno what i'm gonna do with it, though.

gotta scoot!

ok, ok

it seems that the picture of sean's yarn may take a bit. i asked mark to scan it for me last night, and he sent it to me in an email. however, it saved as a bitmap, which i can't use here. i'm going to have to see if he saved it on the puter (at his house, i'm on my puter right now, lol). so, no pics yet.

however, i've been busy. i'm working on a super secret project, and it's coming together nicely. i'm also making a hat for dulaan, and i found some cute sockweight baby yarn to make booties for AC4C. this month's project is a NICU unit in Las Vegas, and they need tons of preemie stuff. also in the works is fingerless mitts for mark's dad, and a dog sweater for my SIL's itty bitty. i can't remember what breed it is right off, except it's normally long haired, and sherril had it shaved because she didn't want to hassle with it.

WEBS is dangerous. you know that? i get emails from them, and normally i just delete them without opening, so i'm not tempted. well, guess what happened. i have my email set up to open the next email if i delete one, and webs popped up. i'm a baaaaaaaaaaaad girl. i ordered yarn. not too much, but still. i think i really have SABLE, and have been trying to restrain myself, but oy!

how's about some pattern reviews?
we'll do crochet this time.

Crochet:
5/26: Easy Elegance Poncho. this is cute, but i thought ponchos were so two years ago?
5/27-28: Tall Beaded Candle Cozy. this is pretty. dunno if i'd ever use it, but pretty, still.
5/29-30: Artisan Hat. this almost looks like those hats you see them wear in afghanistan or such place. i may use it for dulaan or A4A.
5/31: City Slicker Scrunchie. this uses 2 ponytail holders, and is very interesting. might be something to send to somewhere like PRR.
6/1-2: Flower Pillow. this is cute. would be nice for a girl's room.
6/3-4: Crochet Sling Chair. this is cute, and uses an interesting material to make it. it's made with kitchen cotton twine, like what you'd use to truss a bird. the tough part would be finding the chair frame.
6/5: Maggie's Square. this is one of the Dude's for his afghan. nice solid square. i could see using it for something like the project i'm working on now, so little fingers don't get caught in the holes.
6/6: Posie Motif Star. this looks like it uses bullion stitch, and is nice, but a bit too holey for most of my purposes.
6/7: Cro-Tat Photo Album. very pretty, but i don't think i'd do it myself.
6/8: Zig-Zag Dishcloth. looks very interesting. something i may have to check out.
6/9: Wedding Bell. very pretty, but kinda useless. another chatchke to collect dust.
6/10-11: Bridal Garter. another pretty pattern that i had contemplated for the wedding, but ran out of time (oy!)
6/12-13: Wandith. another dude square, and very pretty, but awfully holey.
6/14: Boy's American Flag Sweater. this is cute. might be a thought for Dulaan, except i'd leave off the stars.
6/15-16: Kauai Pineapple Lace. very pretty, would make a nice edging. there's a picture on the back with it done in different colors. very nice.

ok, i'm off like a herd of turtles.

taco hell

apparently, new jersey's taco bells are having issues. i don't think i'll be eating there for a while!

who needs crapy faux mexican anyway, lol.

ok, i've been extremely dilatory about my reviews of my knitting & crochet calendars. so i'll do a few, lol.

Knitting:

5/25: Summer Cloche. this is kinda cute, but i can't stand squiggle, which is the yarn it's made with. i'd find an alternative yarn for sure.
5/26-28: Young Touch Cotton Shirt. This is a knit polo. very cute. a little young for me, though.
5/29-30: Not Your Ordinary Sock. this has an entrelac front panel, and an afterthought heel. the colors used in the example are cute, (think rainbow!) but i could see this done more subltly as well.
5/31: May's Top-Down Triangle Edging. very pretty. something to keep in mind.
6/1: Sonoma Tank. simple, easy, and it calls for alchemy silk purse. yummo!
6/2: Lace Wedding Garter. very pretty. i had thought of doing this for the wedding, but ran out of time.
6/3-4: Pom Sari Cardi. i don't like the yarn they used for this. however, the pattern looks simple.
6/5: Sharon's Pixie Sweater. This is cute, but it's got eyelash in it. frou frou for little girls.
6/6-7: Ancient Mariner Socks. this pattern is very interesting, i will have to check it out later.
6/8: Felted Bowl. very cute. would be a good gift.
6/9: Baby Blanket in Summer Net. i have mixed feelings about this one. you would think a baby blanket would be machine washable, but the pattern says to hand wash, spin out in the machine, then lay flat to dry. cute "almost" pattern, and definitely a warm weather blanket, but handwashing?
6/10-11: Toad Rock Tie. the story behind this is so cute! finding ties on telephone poles, and creating a pattern to resemble those. too darling!

i'll be back later, i got sean's yarn spun, and hung, and i'll show it to you. however, i'm at my house, and mark's scanner is at his, lol.

TTFN!

go, enjoy (No it's not an addictive game, michelle!)

http://www.geocities.com/love2knit_dishcloths/ChristmasKnittingSongs.html

anatomy of a reuben

What i consider a reuben:

marble rye or dark rye bread

heaps of corned beef

swiss cheese (and not the processed stuff)

sauer kraut

thousand island dressing

all of this slapped together, and grilled to golden crunchy perfection


Arby's version:

light rye (huh?)

corned beef or roast turkey (and i actually said this to the girl running the drive through: "it's not a reuben if it doesn't have corned beef)

coleslaw with a mustard dressing

processed swiss/american

toasted

WTF!
that's not a reuben, that's a rachel! needless to say, i was not terribly pleased with my sandwich, and i won't be ordering that again. sigh. my quest for an inexpensive, decent reuben in this bloody midwestern town continues.


in other news:

have you ever swallowed a pill, and have it stick part way down because you didn't drink enough. i did that this morning. unfortunately it was THREE pills, one of which a honking multivitamin, and it stuck just where my gag reflex is worst. yup, you guessed it. i puked. but didn't bring up the damned pills! all i had in my stomach was spit and acid and a little milk. oy. it took 15 minutes, but i finally got the damned things down. needless to say, i took the rest one at a time, lol.

and wanna hear a shocker? i ate cereal for breakfast! strawberry blasted honeycombs. the kids love them, but i was not terribly impressed.

sean spent the weekend here, and his fosterdad called this morning and asked us to keep him until he goes to school tomorrow, because his furnace died. it's been a good weekend. he's been testing the limits a bit, but he's done well. he did lose his video games for the evening last night because he wouldn't listen, but when mark explained why, he accepted it without any arguments or faces. i think he'll be home soon.

i caved. i had started a red afghan, and with my crazy gauge, it was c oming out too small. i was at norma's blog, reading about the red scarf project, and said what the hell. i ripped out one section to get it scarf normal, and added to both ends. i'm in the process of crocheting single crochet around the edges to even it up, and will make chained fringe (i hate cutting & tying fringe, and personally think it's pretty useless, since you don't get to actually WORK the yarn, but this i can live with). it's in red heart, but the new acrylics are actually quite soft any more, and this will be machine washable. definitely a plus for someone who doesn't have a mom to go home to to do their hand-washables. Edit: it's done, and it's 10 ft long! norma had suggested turning it into 2, but not with this pattern. the afghan was a join-as-you-go pattern, and i really think i can't split it. hope they give it to someone who loves long scarves, or is really tall!

What I'm Reading:
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (bookt ape in the car (i wanted to finish the rest of them before i started HBP)
Dragon's Fire by Anne McAffrey & son (i can't remember his first name, lol) (booktape at my house.
Care & RAising of Dragons
Faeries

i'm picking up the pace again, lol.

mark & liam are helping steph move a sofa, and i'm here with sean. i think i'd better get back to laundry (i only have 2 days worth of clothes for Sean, so i'd better get them washed so he doesn't go to school naked!)

TTFN!

let's show them!

i found this at norma's blog. apparently, this person is trying to track a meme. shall we knit bloggers blow their doors off? go here, read the instructions, then ping here. Let's rock the web!

AIDS fundraiser

Bristol Meyers is donating $1 for every time someone "lights a candle" on their website. go here. let's give them a run for their money.

Hokey Pokey

The Hokey Pokey - Shakespearean Style

Original Lyrics
Put your left foot in,
Your left foot out,
Your left foot in,
And shake it all about.
You do the hokey pokey
And turn yourself around
That's what it's all about.
Shakespearean Style

O proud left foot, that ventures quick within
Then soon upon a backward journey lithe.
Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:
Command sinistral pedestal to writhe.
Commence thou then the fervid Hokey-Poke.
A mad gyration, hips in wanton swirl.
To spin! A wilde release from heaven's yoke.
Blessed dervish! Surely canst go, girl.
The Hoke, the poke -- banish now thy doubt.
Verily, I say, 'tis what it's all about.


ok, now to some irritation. i realized tuesday night that liam did not have a hat that fit him (he's growing too damned fast, i tell you!) so, i found some yarn he had picked out last year, and made a fast hat:
this isn't showing the colors very well. it does go in rainbow progression, but it shows more green than this does. i started this yesterday morning, and finished it last night just before supper. it's in red heart grande. (gotta love machine washable). now, last night, when i showed liam, he said cool! i had made it too big for me (it covered my eyes) and it still barely fit him. just covered his ears. he said he liked it.

however, this morning, after he'd taken his shower, and gotten dressed for school, i told him to put his hat on, since his hair was wet and it was 10F outside (yeah, damned cold!). "I can't wear that, mom! It's embarassing!" what happend to cool? i got him to wear it in the car, but he took it off once we got to school. i told him to at least take it with him. however, after i dropped it off, i found it on the floor behind the passenger seat in the van. growl. ingrate. i'm tempted to go back to school, and take it into the office, and ask to deliver it to him in class! now THAT is embarassing, lol.

anyway, i had some of this left, so i decided to use it with some double-stranded mohair stuff, and i'm making another hat for dulaan. the only reason why i had the mohair double-stranded is that it came to me that way. i had bought it at the used store in blair that way. i miss that store. they always had something interesting in the craft section. i got 3 balls of mohair that way.

so, i'm eagerly awaiting sit & knit tonight. haven't been in 2 weeks, and the last time i did, it was only me, and carin, until she had to go to work, and tara, who ended up working on her SWG sale stuff. i hear there will be many more there tonight. yippee!

What I'm reading now:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Raising and Keeping Dragons
Angels and Demons

i know, i know, i'm slowing down. i'll fix that, lol.

you might be a redneck if most breeds of dog are represented in your dog.
.. . you missed your prom because you were on your honeymoon.
. . . your main business sign has three misspelled words.
. . . you've had five weddings but no anniversaries (hello, brittney!)
. . . the neighbors complain about your snoring.
. . . you taped WWF wrestling over your wedding video.
. . . your living room curtains are beach towels.
. . . you've broken wind into a telephone.
. . . you've had more court dates than dinner dates.
. . . your central heating system consists of leaving the oven door open (raise your hand if you've ever been guilty of this!)
. . . your "what i did this summer" essay includes having twins.
. . . drying your clothes depends on the weather.
. . . most things you enjoy carry a surgeon general's warning.


TTFN!

don't say i didn't warn you!

go here you know you want to. it's a matching game

this is too cool!

i got this in the mail the other day:
well, apparently, this is as big as this is gonna get. if you can't read it (and i can only because i know what it says) it says greetings from mongolia. i think this was mailed in the us, though, because it only has a us stamp, and no international markings. it is still cool though. there's a short blurb by F.I.R.E. about handing things out stuff, and thanking me once again for my contribution. i suppose my question at this time is this:

did the person who sent this to me do it on her own dime, or did F.I.R.E. pay for it? while i appreciate the card, i'd much rather they spent their money on materials to send to Mongolia. i'm odd that way, lol.

i've gotten a lot done this weekend, crafting-wise. i made a pair of leg warmers, and a matching hat, to be sent to the Pine Ridge Reservation, as a part of this month's AC4C project. i also finished another square. the other thing i did craft-wise, which actually upsets me a bit, is that i wound off the halloween yarn that ms. vi gave me as a bridal shower givt. somehow, parts of it got cut. and it's sock yarn, so there's not gonna be any spit splicing. i have approximately 6 little balls sitting here, looking sad at me. i don't know if i'll still try to knit socks with it, and use russian join, or if i'll do something else with it. any ideas, gang?

on other fronts, i have a sinus infection. this is becoming an annual headache (literally!) i have had some sort of headache since last monday, and, well, need i go into the details of a sinus infection? it's nasty. fortunately, i've got a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so i'll be medicated shortly. also, because of the headache, i have not been sleeping well. blech.

sean was fantastic over thanksgiving. absolutely no trouble. same on saturday, he was very very good. however, it seems he's clashing with the fosterdad's fiancee. it's turning into a 6th grade teacher thing. in 6th grade, his teacher did not like him, and was very poor about not showing it. sean picked up on that, and it became a battle all year long. this seems to be what has happened here. when i picked him up saturday, he immediately grabbed his coat (the fosterdad was at work) and his book, muttered "let's go" and went outside. i asked her if anything was wrong, and she said no. when i asked sean, he also said no. however, when i dropped him off that night (after a very good day, including meeting tonya at wild oats, to look at two yummy fleeces (i got the grey one, i'll show it to you when i get it, she's gonna wash it first)), she told me that she had told him that she would respect him when he respected her. while i can't point fingers, i feel this is the wrong attitude to have with sean. she has revealed her buttons to him, and he's pushing them. prime example. apparently she had made chicken and stuffing last weekend, and he said it was good, but not as good as mine. his fosterdad thought it was kinda funny, but she took it badly. sean does not have a great deal of tact. we are working on that, but since he's still emotionally much younger than his actual age. how many 7 or 8 year olds do you know that have tact? oh well, it's still looking good for him to come home soon. maybe at the end of the semester in january!

liam spent the weekend doing homework. will that boy never learn?

we got a dumpster on friday morning, so the weekend ended up being a toss-fest. we cleaned out the garage, and found 2 possums in a nest, behind some boards that mark had not moved for at least a year. i had told him i had seen possums going in and out, but we did not know they were living in there, lol. we called animal control, and they told us to just wiat for dusk, and they'd leave, and then block the garage door well, and take out the nest. the danged thing filled 2 kitchen garbage bags! so far, so good. no possums. we also cleaned out the spare bedroom, and tossed some carpet mark had had in that rooms closet. we can actually move around in there now! the basement is next. since i don't know what mark wants to toss or keep, it will wait til he gets home from work, and i will be the stairs lady. joy.

What i've been reading:
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (booktape at my house)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (booktape in the car)
Harry Potter and the Order of the PHoenix (booktape in mark's house)
Frogs & French Kisses
Care and Handling of Dragons
Angels and Demons

yeah, iknow, i k now, but yes, i can keep them straight.

TTFN!

thanksgiving day meme

thanks to deb

1. Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?
i'd rather go somewhere else. that means the burden is not on me. of course, i've had it two years running, sigh. the most ideal to me? casino buffet. but i won't get that, mark is too much of a homebody.

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?
we always do frozen. they always want too much for fresh turkeys, and since it's such an expensive meel to begin with, i try to economize where i can (i'm a cheapskate, lol)

3. What kind of stuffing?
What ever i feel like making. one year i did rice stuffing (yes, rice. it was cooked, then mixed with nummies, then stuffed). this year was sage stuffing with apples. pretty tasty.

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Pumpkin pie, no question. I, personally, like sweet potato pie, but everybody else expects nummy sweet potatoes with the meal, not as dessert.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?
most definitely a curse. we never gt them all eaten, and whatever i freeze ends up freezer burnt and in the trash anyway. fortunately, this year, we had a small bird, and steph took a large part of the leftovers as her group of friends is having thanksgiving saturday. and they're too poor to buy stuff (payday is next thursday, lol)

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?
Well, i took candied yams off the menu this year, because my MIL is hypoglycemic, and i wanted to make something she could eat. so i whipped them, and added diced apples and a little artificial sweetener (it's the year of the apple, apparently, i put it in my cranberry sauce as well!). while no one else said anything, steph had a cow! refused to eat the "icky sweet potatoes" (she's 20, why do you ask?)

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?
yes. i have a culinary arts degree, so i know what to do to get maximum extraction. remind me to go comment on deb's blog about it, lol.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?
a professional kitchen. it's the one thing i miss about not working in food service any more.

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?
our meal time changes from year to year. last year it was supposed to be at 2, but mark's dad got sick, and the ham was being a pain we ended up putting it off til 330 or so. we ended up with double stuffing and pies, because mark's mom had made them, then didn't bring them because she took his dad to the hospital. we assumed the food wasn't going to come, so we shifted into overdrive, and i ran to the store to buy supplies, and mark made the stuffing, and i made quickie pies. then mark's brother and nieces show up with everything mark's mom had made. she'd left the door unlocked, and called them and told htem to bring it. we had 7 pies for 17 people. you do the math!

this year we planned on eating at 4 because mark's nieces were going to have dinner with their dad in lincoln, but wanted to come eat with us as well. we actually hit the mark pretty close. i think it was 415 when we sat down to eat. who knows where and what time next year (it's his brother's turn, dammit!)

10. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring?
pie. i can bake it the day before, regardless, and it's easy (i have my grandmother's crust recipe memorized) and you rarely have any to bring back home.

11. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house?
nothing. i haven't had any complaints. and this year, for the first time, steph asked if she could bring a dish "like an adult would." i gave her an easy one, green bean casserole. she even ate a little, and she doesn't like green beans. it came out well! (she can cook, she just hates doing it)

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see?
it's usually a group i'm happy to see. there have been a few issues with some in-laws, but it usually works itself out.

13. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu?

my own homemade cranberry sauce. i adore the stuff. i love making it, and i love making it differently every year. this year was cranberries, apples, orange zest and juice, and lime zest and juice, and a buttload of sugar, and a wee bit of water. i was probably the only one who noticed the lime (liam watched me make it, but he didn't say anything when he ate it), but to me, believe it or not, that's all that counts. i knew it was there, and everyone who ate it liked it too. i also make sugar free relish for my MIL (read further up about the sweet potatoes), and send it home with her every year, too.

happy thanksgiving, and let me know if you do this, i'd be interested in your answers!

another giggle

"True" Friendship...
None of that Sissy Crap

Are you tired of those sissy "friendship" poems that always sound good,but never actually come close to reality?Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship.You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this card- just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad -- I will help you get drunk and plot revenge against the sorry bastard who made you sad.

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3 When you smile -- I will know you finally got laid.

4. When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.

5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much Worse it could be until you quit whining.

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick -- Stay the hell away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I will point and laugh at your clumsy ass.

9. This is my oath.... I pledge it to the end "Why?" you may ask;"because you are my friend".

Friendship is like peeing your pants;
everyone can see it,but only you can feel the true warmth.

a few giggles

go do this, it's fun!


I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.

Gardening rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

There are two kinds of pedestrians; the quick and the dead.

Life is sexually transmitted.

Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder these days no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to?

Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

How is it one careless match can start a campfire?

Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!!

If quizzes are quizzical, what are tests?

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from?

Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet soup?

Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window?

Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?

Do you ever wonder why you gave me your email address?? (or read my blog, lol?)

and how about a few rednecks?

you might be a redneck if you've ever released a hostage in exchange for pizza.
. . . the tallest building you've ever seen was a water tower.
. . . you've spent more time on parole than on payroll.
. . . you've ever clogged your vacuum with a small animal (do catnip mice count?)
. . . you have a recipe for catfish lasagna (hmmmm, seafood lasagna?)
. . . you're making "rabit ears" behind the bride in your wedding photos (liam tried!)
. . . your work gloves double as kleenex(ewwwwwww)
. . . your trailer has an ornamental fountain out front (i thought those were in?)
. . . the other guys in your hunting club chip in to buy you new long johns (no comment!)
. . . you think a waterbed is a status symbol
. . . your most expensive jacket is camouflage.
. . . your entire family lives in the same area code
. . . you know for a fact a sock can be used as toilet paper (let's hope they toss it when they're done!)

i'll post more later, i'm just getting ready for the home invasion known as thanksgiving dinner (ugh)

there is hope

there is hope for our kids. i was watching GMA, and saw a piece about this. go. read. grab the tissues. i know i need them. this is absolutely amazing.

this is interesting

marcia is contemplating doing a different kind of holiday KAL. for 2007. lol. go read this post. it's a definite thought, and i think i'm going to get in on it. my first KAL! well, sorta, lol.

in other news, Liam's school is irritating me. liam told one of his teachers that we weren't living in my house, and now the school insists on having this address. WTF! the other house is the official address, i get all my mail & bills over there, and even my credit card billing is over there. just another instance of bureaucratic crap. oy.

it just makes my head throb that much more (big weather front came through over night, and my PMS is going through the roof).

and, apparently, i'm getting old. i have never had knee trouble. never. the last 3 days it hurts to go up and down stairs. getting up from chairs hurts. no fucking fair.

and who's up for a little redneck? i've rescued my calendar from my house.
(i'm way behind, btw, this first one is from july 1/2, lol)

you might be aredneck if you've lived in the same house at five different addresses.
. . .you've played air guitar in church.
. . . the fire that burned your yard was started with a bottle rocket.
. . . you were baptized in an above-ground pool.
. . . getting married doesn't mean leaving home.
. . . you inherited a stolen road sign.
. . . you always watch the Super Bowl, but never know who won (i never know, i usually don't watch!)
. . . you proposed to your wife while working under your truck.
. . . locating everyone for your class reunion took less than an hour.
. . . the first drive-in movie you saw was from across the road.
. . .your preacher is also an Elvis impersonator.
. . . you've been banned from karaoke night.
. . . you practice holds on your dog while watching TV wrestling.

what i'm reading:
i'm on a harry potter kick, lol

Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban (book tape at my house)
Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire (book tape in the car)
Eldest (book tape in mark's house)
The War of the Jewels by JRR Tolkien
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, Sir Orfeo, and Pearl, by JRR Tolkien.

ok, i'm going to lay down now.

what the heck

this is breakfast this morning:
i'm tired of the normal every day stuff, and isn't popcorn good for you? that, and a glass of milk, and my usual handful of supplements, and i'm off like a herd of turtles!

now, i know this is a knitting blog. so i suppose you want to see knitting. ok, here ya go:
i actually thought this hat was kinda ugly, but warm. however, i've had other opinions. the kicker: i started this hat about 2 yesterday afternoon, and finished it at sit & knit last night. it's two strands of patons symphony for the cabled brim, and the main body of the hat is some yarn i got in a swap over a year ago. i got it because it was over 75% wool, which is a requirement for A4A. however, this is going to dulaan. and it fits me tightly, so it ought to fit a 8 or 9 year old well.

and the piece d'resistance (i know i'm not spelling that right):
the limenviolet superwash from Lisa Souza (if i need to link it, you need to crawl out from under the rock first!) this is 160 yards of navajo-plied tastiness (i can hear miss vi drooling now, no licking, woman!). now, to tell y'all my devotion to showing this yarn in all it's yumminess. i finished spinning this tuesday, and washed it and hung it under tension to dry. wednesday night, i pulled it off the shower rod, and immediately dropped it. you can gasp now. yes, it tangled. so i took it home, and started to untangle it. both ends are the dark purple. imagine, 9 o'clock at night, and me hunting for dark ends. it took me half an hour to FIND an end. i wound part of it into center pull balls (i did eventually find the other end), then gave up and went to bed. i spent probably a half an hour at the car dealership untangling it (i had to get the oil changed) and then went to village inn and spent another 10 minutes untangling it. finally, i wound it all into one center pull ball. when i got to my place, i got out my niddy noddy, and wound it on, and put it into a skein. just so y'all could drool appropriately.

i'll get the mop now.

did YOU let the dogs out?

go watch this

this is for deb

deb is having a contest. she claims that all the calendars she had as a kid had gloomy pics for november, and that sucks. so everybody is supposed to post pics of their pictures for november. since my camera has gone awol, i'm doing scans, although they were much bigger than my scanner bed :(.

still, they're funny.

here's calendar #1:
the subtitle is how to survive waiting in line at the movies. mark is my biggest kid, and loves spongebob. i got him this calendar for christmas last year.

here is calendar # 2:
and this picture is correct. the giraffe is upside down. this calendar came from mutual of omaha, and all the animal pictures are just as good.

not your ordinary november calendar pictures, eh?

i'll be demo-ing my spinning at the school today, to the knit club. apparently, the sponsor is absolutely fascinated by spinning, and wants me to bring my wheel, lol. i haven't quite decided what i'm going to spin, since i finished the first L&V roving bump, and it's yummy. i promise i'll bring it thursday, girls! i could continue with the roving that erin gave me while ago (i can't find the post, lol). or i could break out the new stuff i got from mama c*eye*berfibers (go see amie, she's got the goods on it), or the silk/merino that i got as a wedding gift last year, or...... hmm. i'll have to think, lol.

and then there's this:

i'm a chacha guide. it's a new search engine that uses live guides. you put your search string in, and you can choose with or without a guide. a guide will interact with you, and give you specific results. a great example is a search i did yesterday. someone put in ziggarut. however, there are several different meanings for this (most of them are brand names, lol). i asked some questions, got the scoop, and gave that person exactly what they were looking for. the website is www.chacha.com. go check it out!

and that's the end of my commercial, lol.

more later

this is ridiculous!

see this!
ok, i do believe i've figured out the issue with pics. apparently blogger doesn't like bmp files, which is what my puter defaulted to. so i saved it again as a jpg, and see what i've got!

guess where i got this from. go on, guess. liam's school, during parent teacher conferences. he's in EIGHTH grade, folks! no wonder kids are running around shooting schools up. if this kind of pressure is being applied now, what's it like in high school? oy.

anyway, go back to the flapping post, i'll have a pic of the hat there.

Cats: The Care & Feeding of your Human

Useful Advice for Cats - How To Care For Your Human By Martine Carlsen For us cats there are several sweet advantages in having a human as a pet. However, remember you are taking on a big responsibility when you adopt one or more humans. Humans are demanding pets that need daily care and attention. With responsibility come both advantages and disadvantages. If you adopt a human, you must get used to spending time at home. Your human does not deal well with being left alone - they will get into all sorts of mischief. For example, if you are gone just two or three days you run the risk of seeing posters put up all over the neighborhood. Your human will put out an APB on you ! Often with an embarrassing text that reveals all sorts of personal details - and usually accompanied by an unflattering photo of you - with morning fur and crumpled whiskers. Exactly the kind of thing that attracts ridicule from all the neighbor cats. So please consider carefully if you are ready for a life with humans. In addition, remember humans generally grow very old, so there is a big chance that you will spend the rest of your life with your human. Entertaining your Human The litter box provides a great opportunity for entertaining your human. Naturally there is all the fun your human can have cleaning and scooping out the box. A lot of human time can also be used getting fresh litter - going to the pet store, transporting it home etc. However many humans like new challenges. Utilize your litter box time in the best possible way. Make interesting and artistic renderings of countries or well-known islands. Your human will have lots of fun guessing which one you made. Humans like game shows - so this should be a popular activity. When your human increases in skill, you can also make portraits of family and friends. Start with profile portraits - this will make it easer for your human. Shedding Make it a priority to shed indoors on appropriate surfaces. Fleece is a particularly suitable material to shred on. All you need to do is pass close by your human when he or she is wearing fleece. All cat hair within a radius of 2 feet from the fabric will immediately be transferred to your human. No brushing necessary for several days ! Another good solution is to get access to a filled clothes hamper. Jump in and give all contents a good work over. An extra bonus with this method is that most cat hairs will survive a trip to the washing machine. Your human will be stylishly accessorized with cat hair on all outfits. Extra Food All chances for a bit of extra food must and should be taken advantage of. Whenever your human is in the kitchen, you have a prime opportunity of getting an extra snack. When your human is busy at the kitchen counter place yourself in your humans blind angle (just behind the ankle is usually a good spot). And the second your human moves one or both feet you jump back screaming your most heart-wrenching cry. Your human will automatically assume that he/she stepped on you. When your human looks back scared to see what is happening look up at him/her with a painful expression on your face (practice this before hand in front of a mirror). Your human's bad conscience will often result an edible apology. Grass Etiquette Before you eat grass, make sure that you are close to a suitable place to throw up. Delicate furniture fabrics, precious carpets, and shoes are all good places. If you choose furniture: aim for the part that has non-removable fabric. When you are getting down to business, make sure you back up a step or two so that you cover the largest area possible. Another technique is to do several items with pauses in-between. Persian carpets will give a good camouflage effect and your little gift will often not be discovered until somebody steps in it. Preventing your human from wasting valuable time One of the most important tasks we cats have is to prevent humans from wasting their time. Humans love to spend their time on things with no relevance for cats. For example watching TV, reading, talking on the phone - and many other things that have no entertainment value for us cats what so ever. Many methods are available to prevent human time waste - use your imagination. Some especially effective techniques will be mentioned here. Watching TV make sure that you always position yourself between the TV and your human. On the coffee table for example. You can also lie on the TV and let you tail or paws swing down in front of the screen. This method is most effective with small screens where you can cover a large percentage of the screen. It is a bit trickier with a flat screen - and only recommended for the agile kitty. A variation can be used with a computer screen. Flat screens often leave a lot of empty space on the desk - so just get up in front - remind your human of how wonderful you are. Cleaning; stalk the vacuum cleaner and attack when it passes by. You can also pretend that you want to attack the vacuum cleaner but "accidentally" catch a foot instead. Garden work; jump repeatedly up-and-down and scatter any leaves that your human has raked together. Attack gardening tools - especially while they are in use. Immediately dig up any newly planted seeds, plants and flowers. Closed Doors Under no circumstances accept closed doors that separate you from your human. At all times you have a right to know what your human is doing. If by accident you have been placed on the wrong side of a door you need to make your human aware of this ASAP so he/she can remedy the situation immediately. Loud meows and scratching on the door should be sufficient to get your humans attention. If this is ignored you need to take more drastic measures: Make a sound as if you are going to throw up. All humans in a 50 feet radius can hear this sound. This sound can also be heard through closed doors. The "puke sound" will always result in your human's immediate presence. Sleeping Time It is important for us cats to prioritize our sleeping time. The objective is to get as much sleep done as possible while your human is awake. You will then be especially well rested and bushy-tailed at night when it is your job to keep your human awake. There is the classical "play with toes" approach: attack everything that moves under the duvet. You can also reenact highlights from last year's Grand National Steeplechase by repeatedly galloping across the bed. A couple of loud meows will give it an extra exiting dimension for your human Houseguests Houseguests require special attention and handling. The following procedures should be followed: Houseguests that either do not like us or are allergic to us: As soon as they sit down - jump onto their lap. Noisy children that run after you and/or pull your tail: It is your duty to punish them - it can be necessary to use both claws and teeth. However, be prepared that this can result in noise that is even more annoying and of an even louder decibel level. Guests that try to get in contact with you by ingratiating themselves and speaking in a sweet voice: Should just be ignored. If they try to approach you, back away 5-6 feet - but never further away than they feel encouraged to try again. With a bit of practice this game can he kept going for hours. Bad Weather Even in bad weather, it can be necessary to go outside. The rain and wet ground will result in an unpleasant layer of dirt and mud on your paws. However, this can easily be dried off on certain appropriate indoor spots. Find a light carpet, a duvet cover or nice piece of furniture and walk over it a couple of times. When your paw tracks are almost invisible, your paws are clean and you are ready to go outside again. Training your Human Sometimes it can be necessary to discipline even the most well trained human. However, do remember never to hit a human. At the most, mark with a soft paw on the human's arm or hands. Try first to make your human understand what it has done wrong. And most importantly: be patient! The human intellect is relatively limited and it can be difficult for them to understand our wishes and needs. Even after approximately 5000 years of domestication, the human species still has primitive instincts and it does take time to train your human completely. Door Training One of the first things you need to teach your human is to open the front door, the garden door and backdoor when required. This is done by walking up to a door and making an impatient and very loud meow. Make some tripping steps with your back paws obviously indicating that you need to go to the outdoor litter box. When your human has gotten up from the couch and opened the door you decide that you do not really need to go outside right now. Just for appearances, you can stand in the open door and pretend that you are thinking about the situation for a few seconds before you turn around to go inside again. Repeat this procedure several times a day. This will keep your human in good door opening form. Inspection of the House A house usually has unlimited possibilities for suitable sleeping spots. Every possibility no matter how theoretical should be investigated and tested. Cardboard boxes, cupboards, drawers, couches and beds are obvious localities, but places such as old slippers (size 11 or higher) open gym bags or kitchen cupboards should not be overlooked. The house should further be investigated for all possible toys. An old sock can represent several hours of entertainment if you get your claw on a loose end and unravel a couple of miles worth of yarn. You human will love to tidy up after your play.

flapping away madly

here's my ear flap hat:

well, i think it's my hat. blogger is showing me a black square. Edit: i figured it out, no more black square! what do you think? this is made with the wensleydale that carin gave me at my bridal shower (i still think that so rocks to have it at a LYS!). i spun it up, and then knit this. lemme know what you think (if it ever appears!) i've been making 12" squares for AC4C, for the november project, which is the Pine Ridge Reservation. i'm not sure where the blankets are going, but i'm sure it's a good place, lol.

now to the exciting stuff! remember the story about sean and the needle? it gets better. halloween night, sean's character needed red hair, so i bought red hair spray. by the time we were done trick-or-treating, sean's head had started to itch. so when i took him back to his foster dad's, sean washed his hair twice. his face was red, but i figured it was from bending over, and it had been very cold that night (28F by the time i got him there).

however, this was not the case. just as i was getting to school wednesday for sean's IEP (individual education plan, since he's in resource), his foster dad called and asked me if i was close to sean's day care, because sean had been sent home because he was covered in hives. unfortunately, i wasn't, but we did get him some benedryl, and that helped. everybody thought it was the make up, because of when it hit him, until i was sitting in the car, waiting for school to get out, and realized that sean was on antibiotics, and the same ones he'd been on before. i called the doctor, and they said to take him off the one he was on now, and they'd call in a different one.

i didn't see sean until the next day, when i picked him up from daycare. the benedryl had made him woozy enough that he lost his balance, and fell, and smashed his glasses. he had also forgotten his benedryl at home, and was breaking out again. so we had to get him some over the counter benedryl, because the foster dad couldn't get back home, and no one else was there. he ended up sleeping most of the afternoon and evening, which i don't mind, because if he was sleeping, he wasn't scratching, lol. his rash has now cleared completely, and his foot is doing well. the doctor chewed on him a bit for losing his shoe, but gave him another one, and said to bring him back in a week. whew. maybe this will help sean with his "boy who cried wolf" problem.

now if only we could get liam to cooperate. sigh

pictures, please?

dammit! enter got me again!

woohoo, we have pictures! here's the hat i made for janice. i'll probably put it in the mail today. (maybe, i'm not promising anything). so let's go for picture #2!
witness the vanilla sock of doom! yeah, i know. very plain & boring. doom comes in many colors. i kknow, i still haven't done the toe. christmas is a long time away, lol.

i started a hat for dulaan (today's the last day for signups to get a yarn prize from ryan!) with the stuff carin gave me for the bridal shower. suffice it to say, i don't care to spin wenslydale. it almost acts felted! the colors are interesting though. i'm doing an earflap hat (my own wacked out pattern, lol). my biggest problem is my needles are just short enough taht i have to watch that stitches don't fall off the end, lol.

go eat candy, will ya!

happy halloween!

here's a game to waste time with.

go on you want to.

have fun!

(and don't eat all the candy!)

seriously

DRINK!

take this test. i got a 72%. post a comment to let me know what your score is!

PAGING DR. SEAN!

racklefrats! blast blogger and it's "enter" policy!

ok, there's a warning to this post. if you're squeamish, or oogey, read old posts. this is kinda gross.


ok, have all the weenies left? good. here we go.

now, before you think we're all neglectful, nasty people, there is a caveat to this whole story. sean is a known "boy who cried wolf," particularly when it comes to medical stuff. so we weren't neglecting his health, just not very believing, considering the circumstances.


here we go.

4 weeks ago, Sean stepped on a needle, and it broke. his foster family thought they'd found all the pieces, and since it didn't swell up and get icky, we figured it was just a puncture wound, and soaked it, and treated it accordingly.

well, about a week and a half ago, it started bruising, which we assumed was because sean would NOT leave it alone. the boy can't leave anything like that alone. he's fascinated by all of it. however, by last tuesday, it was black. gross. (if you haven't left yet, you better now) so i made an appointment for friday. they x-rayed it, and discovered the needle was still in his foot. needless to say, everybody involved apologized to him for not believing him, but reiterated that we hadn't because of his "cry wolf" tendencies.

the PA cleaned it up a bit, then recommended that we see an orthopaedic surgeon, since they were afraid to try to extract the needle themselves. so, he went home, and we went to the surgeon's this morning. the doctor popped the old scab off, because he wanted to check on the wound, and they took new x-rays. well, apparently, between the PA poking around on it friday, and the surgeon poking around on it this morning, caused it to rear its ugly head to the point that sean could see the needle. he told everybody so, and proved it by pulling the needle out HIMSELF!

they did a second set of x-rays to double check, but the little stinker got it all out by himself! so they cleaned the wound out (there was a small bit of ulceration, because it had been 4 weeks), wrapped his foot up, and sent him home. the original plan was to have surgery wednesday (i asked if we could put it off one more day, because of halloween tomorrow, and he was on antibiotics, and the doctor was fine with that, as long as nothing got worse), but with this, dr sean stepped up to the plate, lol.

while the doctor was cleaning the wound some more, they started talking about doctor stuff, and sean told him that he wants to be psychiatrist some day. the doctor was VERY impressed with the level of intelligence and knowledge sean had. he was amazed that sean was only 12. that's my boy, for ya.

now, for the reason why it didn't get nasty immediately? sean had had an ear infection, and had started antibiotics 2 days before he stepped on the needle. so, the body just used the antibiotics for his foot as well as his ear. when they finally wore off, the foot said "hey, this crap is still in here" and started getting infected again. when the needle started trying to work its way out again, it caused another infection. go figger.

so, sean is due to go back to the doctor on friday, and has to wear a special shoe (which he hates, lol), but the doctor ok'ed him to go trick or treating tomorrow, so he's definitely happy with that.

isn't it amazing what kids will do?

ok, grossness over. i'll post some knitting stuff later.

if i die before i wake. . .

Living Will Form


I, __________________________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead politicians who couldn't pass ninth-grade biology if their lives depended on it. Nor in the hands of lawyers/doctors who are interested simply in running up the bills. If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one of the following:

Bloody Mary, Margarita, Scotch and soda, Martini, Vodka and Tonic, Steak, Lobster or Crab Legs, The remote control, Bowl of ice cream, Chocolate, or Sex

..it should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes and call it a day. At this point, it is time to call a New Orleans Jazz Funeral Band to come do their thing at my funeral, and ask all of my friends to raise their glasses to toast the good times we have had.
Signature: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________

I also hear that in Ireland they have a Nursing Home with a Pub. The patients are happier and they have a lot more visitors.


many thanks to my sons' grandmother for sending this to me. it's amazing how much better we get along now that her son's not in the mix.

it's a picture!

here's janice's hat:
well, imagine janice's hat. oy! stupid blogger is acting up AGAIN! if it weren't for the fact that i'm such a cheapskate, i'd go to typepad, or some such. this is ridiculous.

anyway, janice's hat is done, washed, and in the van. it's in the van because i have been noticing that if anything that i make lingers in the house for more than a few minutes after i pull it out of the dryer, it starts to smell like smoke. however, when i pulled some squares out of the dryer this morning, they didn't smell. since mark is at work, i rushed them out to the van (along with the hat), and will check them later to see if they smell. if this works, then i'll just keep a box in the van for charity stuff, so it doesn't smell. mark doesn't smoke in the van (when he's in it, he doesn't ride with me much, lol), so we should be ok.

thanks to all the ladies (and bill) who tried to help me with the smoke issue at S&B last night.

speaking of S&B, i had a blast last night. we had to have an alternative site because tara was in a wedding. i don't think i've laughed so hard in a long time. and bizarre conversations? needless to say, having an ER doctor is very entertaining.

chacha is going ok, but since it's a beta, they're still working out the bugs. no training right now. let's hope it kicks in soon, i need to start making money, lol.

catch y'all on the flip side!!

complete disgust

i was driving home after i took liam to school today, and i saw something that really disgusted me. for those of you familiar with omaha, and the benson area, along maple street between 63rd & northwest radial, the businesses have large flower pots. some are pots. some are the half-barrel things. all along the south side of the street, 75% of them had been knocked over, and some even broken. considering this is around 7:45 am, this had to have happened over night. granted, this time of year the flowers are dead (there are a few that have evergreens planted, but those weren't tipped), but just the thought of the destruction, and mess this causes just makes me sick. and it was probably teenagers who were bored. sigh.

in other news, i hear that new jersey decided that they had to give equal rights to everyone, and that they will be considering some sort of union for gay couples in the legislature. flame me if you will, but i hope it goes through. having just gotten married myself, i don't see why two people who love each other should not be allowed to have some sort of legal union. i was watching the View, and while i don't agree with rosie o'donnel's political leanings, if letting her marry her partner makes her happy, let her. they also said they've thought about giving it a different name for gays, such as partnered or unioned. to heck with that. if mark & i had gone down to the court house, and had a civil ceremony, it would still be considered married. let them get married. what's it going to hurt?

in knitting news, clapotis is progressing slowly. i don't take it out, so i only work on it here, and i've been running 'round like a chicken with its head cut off! steph's sweater has progressed to skein #2, which is good. janice's hat is done, and will be washed this afternoon/morning (depending on my motivation, lol). i still need to kitchener the toe on the vanilla socks of doom, sigh.

i'll try to scan things so you can see them later, lol.

and, i have a job. of sorts. i'm a chacha guide. chacha.com is a search engine that uses live people. then you don't have to sort through tons of links, like google or yahoo gives you. my keywords are (big surprise) cooking, crochet, and knitting. go check it out, you may run into me! (once i'm done training, lol)

what i'm reading
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (book tape at mark's house)
All Creatures Great & Small by James Herriot (book tape at my house)
All Things Bright & Beautiful by James Herriot (book tape in the car)
The War of the Jewels by JRR Tolkien
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, Sir Orfeo & Pearl by JRR Tolkien.

i've slowed down, lol

and for those of you who offered your condolences over my chemical burns, thank you. they stopped hurting by the next day. however, i had to cook one more batch of salsa, although this one was much better. red, yellow & orange peppers, plus pasillo peppers, which are fruitier, so this batch didnt' stink. i got 11 pints. wow, i got lots of christmas presents!

chemical burns stink

i'm a glutton for punishment, apparently. i keep forgetting how much i hate salsa, and when mark brings home tomatoes from coworkers, first thing in my mind is "salsa!". so, mark and i ended up chopping all day yesterday, between the tomatoes, peppers & onions. we agreed that the big batch would be with jalapenos and green peppers (these are green tomatoes, mind you), and the smaller batch would be colored peppers and a different chile, as long as it wasn't habaneros. we have about 10 pints of salsa in the basement we made 3 years ago with habaneros that is so hot few people can eat it. mark even put one pint in a gallon of chili, and the chili was too hot to eat. so, being a contact lense wearer, i refused to handle the jalapenos, which was fine with mark. he chopped them, and ran them in the food processor, and put them in the pot with all the other ingredients.

i've just spent my morning reheating the salsa, because it too so long to cook last night that we were afraid we'd be up until midnight canning the crap (i was up that late anyway, but that's beside the point). and discovered that i had gotten chemical burns just from STIRRING the crap. oy. and it stinks. i hate green peppers and i hate jalapenos, and this shit reeks of it. oy. fortunately, it's all in jars now (11 quarts and 5 pints, plus a small plastic container that will go in the fridge), at the expense of about 10 dishclothes to hold the jars, and several heat burns on my hands. thank goodness there are no blisters, but i'm going to have to wash my hands about a dozen times before i pick up my knitting.

speaking of knitting, i got deawn's square in the mail on thursday, and it only cost me 90 cents. not bad for going to montreal. i didn't mark it though, so i hope that's not an issue, lol.

i've received more things for the super secret project, so things are going well in that department.

the vanilla socks are almost finished. i have to kitchener the toe on the second one and block them. woot!

i think i'll frog the carnival socks. i was looking at the pattern i was using, and it calls for size 3 needles. i don't think so. the toe i've got is impossibly small for what i want.

Janice's hat is almost done, although it did stall out over the weekend. one more round and i'll wash it and send it on its way. i'm looking forward to seeing the prizes she's got.

i started a sweater for steph, we'll have to see how it goes. i used sweater wizard, and put in cropped, but i'm thinking itmight actually be too short, so i may go back to standard length. i'll have to look when i get that far.

well, i have to go back to the dishes (canning always leaves so goddamned many dishes!) so i'll bid adieu for now.

here we go again, lol

first off, let me say that blogger's habit of posting if you hit enter in the title field is ANNOYING!

I got this from a former secret pal, sarah, but i've seen it several places.

1. FIRST NAME? Minnie

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? I'm named for my great grandmother on my mother's side. I'm also named for my maternal grandmother (her middle name was ruth, too, lol) a great pair of ladies, and i hope i can fill their shoes.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? in frustration with sean about a month ago. that boy can really push buttons.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? i don't mind it. it's big and loopy, and can be potentially messy if i'm in a hurry. however, my daughter (who i swear is my emotional clone, even if she is one of my kids that looks the least like me) has virtually identical handwriting. scarey, huh.

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Virginia ham. yum

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? yes, i would. i'm one of those people that you just can't help but talk to, lol. perfect example. i was in the store this morning with my mother, and we had just walked into the meat department. i was wearing my puffy nebraska jacket i got last spring for $6 (normal price was $40 (chaching!)). a very tall man walked out of the back wearing a meat-cutter's jacket, and asked me if i would loan him the jacket, since he was going to the game tomorrow, and it's supposed to be cold and rainy. i laughed, and told him the sleeves would be a bit short, since it was a boys' size 16 jacket. see what i mean?

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? not a paper one. that's what this blog is for.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yup. healthy as a horse.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure, sounds likea wild trip to me.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? i don't normally do cereal, although i like the fruit and nut ones. i think raisin nut bran is my favorite (do they even make that any more?)

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes. i can still out-arm-wrestle my 14 year old son, and he's taller than me by at least 4". heck, i can even out-armwrestle my daughters! i've got "guns," lol. emotionally as well. i have to be, if i'm weak, then how can i help sean?

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? toasted almond fudge from Schwanns. i don't get it much though (i don't eat a lot of ice cream)

14. SHOE SIZE? 7E. yes, i have duck feet. that's why i usually buy boys' shoes. but it makes it easier to find stuff for steph, cuz her feet are proportionately the same as mine, just bigger (she's a 9E)

15. RED OR PINK? Red. pink is for little girls, and i haven't been a little girl in a LONG time.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my tendency to brain fart. i may not be diagnosed as ADHD, but i definitely have the tendencies. oh look, a chicken!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? How about you just post it on your blog and I’ll come read it?

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? black pants, a black t-shirt with a glow in the dark ghost, and when i came in, black birkies.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE? dark chocolate mocha almonds from target and a glass of milk.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the computer fan whining and "jonathan strange and mr. norrell." a very good book tape. kind of like harry potter, but with adults.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? royal blue. not only is it my favorite color, it is very much what i am. vivid, and true.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? freshly bathed babies (i'm a momma at heart, lol) wood smoke. good bbq. mark's hair. freshly dyed wool.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My husband this morning.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? their voice

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? I admire her blog, so I assume I’d like her in person. We’ve never met in person, but i feel between her blog & emails, i do have a sense of her as a person.

27. FAVORITE DRINK? irish cream. cold water. iced tea.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? anything my kids are playing.

29. EYE COLOR? Hazel.

30. HAT SIZE? 6 7/8. 22". i know the inches because when i was working customer service at OTC, i had a customer who asked me to measure my head, so she could figure if a hat would fit her child or not. being the knitter htat i am, i had a tape measure, and i whipped it out and did so (sorry, 12 year old giggle at the phrase "whipped it out")

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes.

32. FAVORITE FOOD? i'm a foodie. i'm supposed to pick one?

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, for sure. scary movies leave me cold, unless they're really good (the ring wasn't bad)

(Dude, what happened to 34?

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer. even though i love to knit with wool, i hate being cold. i would dearly love to move south, but if i do, it won't be for a very long time. mark's folks are only in their 70's, as is my mom, and they aren't going any where, and we both are dutiful children.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? if i absolutely have to choose, it's hugs. nothing better than being wrapped up in the arms of someone who cares about me (specially mark's hugs, all those arms!)

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? chocolate cheese cake. just tart enough to counteract the sweet, and, oh yum, chocolate.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Oh, let’s skip these next two. It doesn’t matter.
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? well, you're used to hearing this from me, lol.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The War of the Jewels by J.R.R. Tolkien
All Creatures Great & Small by James Herriot

i'm slacking off a bit, because the first one was due wednesday, and i'm trying to finish it before the grace period is up.

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? the mouse pad at my house has a picture of the boys in their halloween costumes 2 years ago. liam was a barrel of toxic waste, and sean was sonic the hedge hog. mark's mouse pad is one he got for free from a local computer store.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? mark was watching North Carolina and Virginia play football. i didn't change it because he was still awake, and i fell asleep before the game was over, lol. otherwise, i was at knit night.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? my children singing. my husband singing (he has a good voice, he's a musician, lol). christmas carols (real ones, not the funny ones, although i do enjoy those). someone who loves what they're singing (even the bad karaoke, you can see they're enjoying themselves). birdsong in the morning, just before sunrise.

44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Neither, usually.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?upstate new york.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I have a semi-photographic memory. if i've seen it, and want to remember it, i can.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Blair, nebraska. so was sean.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? i saw this on sarah's blog, but i've seen it other places as well.

a girl's gotta do

what a girl's gotta do. let's see if this works.
Woot! when the going gets tough, the tough use their scanners! i still don't know where my damned camera is, so mark got his scanner going a few days ago, so here i am, with a scanned pic of the square i did for deawn. we did a trade, but that's all i'm saying 'bout that for now.

the square is done, and will be washed & packed tomorrow, and flying via airmail to montreal on friday (i've got dental work scheduled for tomorrow morning, i'm not going to the post office, i'll be sleeping off my novacaine).

rabbitch's hat is well on it's way, as well. in fact, since i had the green variegated yarn out, i double-stranded that, and it's actually coming out kinda fun. ever seen ribbing in crochet? no? well, wait, and i'll scan that S.O.B. as well (but not now, it's kinda late, lol.

and it sounds like mark & his buddy are FINALLY going to fix my sump pump, so i can use the washer at MY house, and i'll be off like a herd of turtles, with all the felting i need to do (i tried to do it here, but because mark has floor drain issues in the basement, i used a pillow case, and well, i was NOT pleased. plus, mark smokes, and it makes it hard to make any of that stuff marketable if it's smells like a pub on a saturday night).

steph is working at my old job, and actually enjoying it, lol. she did say there are days when she feels like shooting herself, but that she's enjoying herself for the most part. now, if she does a really good job, she'll get hired on permanently. that's the sucky part. not knowing until mid-december if she has a permanent job or not. i went through it too. at least she'll be able to collect unemployment if they don't keep her (which i've been trying to give her all the hints i can think of to help her be aces, so cross your fingers, legs, toes, needles, whathaveyou, and give this kid good juju. she's been trying, for sure).

sean has been doing better. he made his 8 assignment goal today! woot! he is in the bd room (special ed) so he doesn't rotate classes, but the work is brought to his room, and he's supposed to get 8 assignments finished per day. now, this doesn't usually happen, because sean has severe focus issues. (what i don't understand, is if 3 of his "regular" classes would be vocal music, pe, and lifetime sports, where's he getting the other 3 assignments?). so here's hoping.

liam's football team won the city championship for his division (heavyweight). they shut out the last 3 teams they played, and even the first game, where they lost, the score was 12-6. they even shut out #1! woot! granted, liam didn't get to play alot, but still, he was so thrilled, you can't get too down about his lack of playing time. liam's biggest problem right now is that he's growing so fast, that he's awkward & clumsy. he can still run like the wind, but those arms & legs flail & churn, lol. i would like to see him go out for track or soccer, this spring.

and our one month anniversary was monday. we celebrated with crab legs, cheddar bacon mashed potatoes, and candied carrots. i was STUFFED. but it was worth it.

TTFN!

go on, you know you wanna

go play this game. it's addicting. you can thank (or blame) me later

you can blame miss vi

ok, i was reading the message boards over at limenviolet, and found this horrid thing that miss violet found. she is a truly sick & twisted individual. i love it! and then, of course, there was this as well. goofiness all around

my fender has a dent in it

Baldemar Huerta died of lung cancer yesterday at the age of 69. who is he? "i'll be there before the next tear drop falls." Freddy Fender. Grammy winner. Star on the walk of fame. a country crooner, who had the most wonderful latin-styled voice. he'll be missed.

Vaya con Dios, mi amigo.

somebody help me please!

sean threw up at school, and we think he forced it, but i have him because his foster dad is having transportation issues (he loaned his car to his son, and his son is not answering his phone, lol). he's tortured the one cat into hiding behind the sofa, and the other one runs when he sees him. right now sean is eating soup (that's what you give a sick kid, right?), singing "45" by shine down (oh yeah, he' s really sick), and hollering cuz he thinks his soup is too hot (ev en though he's eaten it all!).

scratch that. the foster dad's sister just showed up to pick him up, and it's a lady i used to work iwth, lol!

whew.

now, down to business.

i've made a few promises.

1) i promised deawn i would crochet a 10" square for her homies blanket drive. it's due oct 30, and since it's going to canada, i have to get on it, so i can mail it by the 20th.

2) Janice is collecting hats for vancouver, so i volunteered to knit/crochet one for her, too. it's not due til dec 1, so there's a little breathing room

3) i'm working on a super secret project (you'll find out soon enough, lol), and i'm waiting for things to come in, at this point (and i came up with this myself, lol)

4) go see ryan. she's still a booger head, and she's still looking for sign ups for Dulaan. go on, ya wanna. i'm technically signed up for 5 (that's how many she wants each of us to do), but i'm going to go for one more than last year, and do 10.


so i'm going to be a tad bit busy. clapotis is doing well, and i've dropped a few stitches already. i'm doing a mini clap, as i don't have enough yarn, so, like deb it's going to be a wide scarf. and i've discovered something interesting. i just CAN'T let the dropped stitches be. i have to undo them all!

the vanilla socks are progressing quite nicely, and i'm almost to the toe. maybe i'll finish the buggers tonight at s&k. and i started the carnival yarn again. i'm doing a short-row toe up for right now. we'll see how it works.

ok, the pear butter is calling me (it took 4 days to finally get the stuff cooked down!), so i'll be sending it soon, Norma!

IT'S BACK!

go read this. apparently, lion brand bowed to popular consensus, and is bringing cotton-ease back! with new colors! woot! now i can knit up my stash (one 3-drawer cartful!) without guilt.

we rock!

a public service annoucement

for all you readers who have dogs.

apparently, there's a artificial sweetener called xylitol that has become very popular. it's poisonous for dogs. please, be careful of what you feed your dog. and according to the statistics i saw on the news this morning (no link, they don't have it up on the website!), the poisonings are on the rise. 70 in 2004, 170 in 2005, and as of august 114.

EDIT: the tv station finally put up a link, so go see it

i don't own a dog, but i have.

carry on!

sp9

here we go again, lol. i had thought about not signing up this time, but just could not resist!

here's my questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

i never met a fiber i didn't like. i do love alpaca (who wouldnt!), but i'm not picky at all.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

technically, i have a 7 drawer cart i keep them in, but realistically? in WIP, lol. i also have a romantic candle holder that i put a lot of my dpn's in.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

Wow. um, i've been knitting for 30 years. my grandma started me off, and i taught myself everything else. i suppose i'm an intermediate knitter, although the only patterns that scare me are steeking ones. just cant handle taking scissors to my knits when they're not felted.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

on amazon. it's under my maiden name, minnie mckain.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)

i love vanilla, and sweet florals, like magnolia and jasmine. i also love sandalwood.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

duh! chocolate. preferrably dark chocolate (and you know that dark is better for ya, right?)

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

i spin & crochet. i also sew a bit, but mostly just halloween costumes (although i probably won't this year, i'm still wedding-burned)

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

wow, that question is always tough. examples of what i like: AC/DC. Kiss. Nora Jones. Nine Inch Nails. Johnny Cash. Sons of the Pioneers. you should see my auto select stations, lol.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

blues & purples, and bright colors. i can't stand mustard yellows or muted oranges, and browns don't turn me on as a rule, although i had one secret pal send me the yummiest kidsilk crack haze that was a kind of light mushroomy grey/beighe/tan. i don't mind greys, or black, though.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

i have a husband ( of 2 1/2 weeks, lol), and two sons at home. liam is 14 & sean is 12. i also have two daughters. stephanie is 20 & lisa is 21, and, obviously, they live on their own, although i get frequent "mom" calls from steph. we have 2 cats: jimi, the wonder foot monster, and joplin the grump. admittedly, joplin is 11, but it's amazing how pissy she can get with jimi when she doesn't want to play.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

i have arthritis, so i'm always wearing something on my hands. i have scarves and i do wear them occasionally. i wear hats, but i have to have them bigger than my head, because i have hair i can sit on, and i wear it in clips. mostly big floppy hats, lol.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

anything small. i don't mind sewing bits together, as long as there aren't a ton. no pieced afghan patterns please! i also like a challenge. i've seen the dragon shawl floating about, and i REALLY covet that pattern.

13. What are you knitting right now?

at this instant i am knitting vanilla socks for steph, a clapotis for me, and a teddy bear for charity.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

yes!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

i prefer straights & metal needles. i have a TON of needles, as i bought out an estate sale, although i don't have a ton of dpn's in the smaller sizes. i do like bamboo for sock needles, though.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

no, but i'm intending on putting them on my christmas list!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

do i really have to confess that one?

18. What is your favorite holiday?

HALLOWEEN!

19. Is there anything that you collect?

dragons, cookbooks, and fairies. i don't mind cute fairies, but i don't care for "cute" dragons. i like the ones that breathe fire, and actually prefer european to oriental.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

i would really like another set or 2 of size 1 dpns in bamboo. i've got a bad case of startitis, and already have one sock on the needles, sigh. i also would like that dragonshawl pattern (ask me for the link, i'm too tired to go find it now, lol). the books i want are on my amazon list.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

i would like to try entrelac.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

i am a sock knitter. i wear a size 7E shoe. if you need more measurements, holler.

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)

April 1 (i know, i know)

and just so ya know, i'm allergic to watermelon & banana, and am not particularly fond of mint.

also, i don't remember what name i signed up under, but my last name, if you read the top part of my blog, is now Olson, lol.

you just gotta

ok, don't swoon from 3 posts in one day, but you just gotta. go see ryan. she's taking sign-ups for the Dulaan 10K or bust. i don't know how to do buttons, but if i figure it out, it'll be up. i've signed up, and i've got 2 already. woot!

10 knitterly things about me

ok, i guess the point of this meme is to tell you 10 knitterly things you don't know about me. i have seen this several places, but i think the last one was at fillyjonk's. holler in the comments if you know more than 2 of these.

1. While i have achieved S.A.B.L.E., a very large portion of it is ACK. not even redheart. some of this yarn is so old it's got fibers that don't exist any more, like orlon. I am known as a charity knitter, so when people have yarn they want to get rid of, they give it to me.

2. I tend to collect yarn. Doesn't matter what kind. I used to live in a town with a thrift store that would barter on their yarn prices, and bag up small balls for anywhere from 50 cents to a dollar for about 2 or 3 ounces of yarn, in mixed colors. I have TONS of those.

3. The last thing i knit for myself and FINISHED (i've started all kinds of things, it's the finishing that's a bitch) was a poncho from the knit it magazine of 2005 (thanks for having that on your blog natalie , i would have never remembered the name of the magazine, let alone when it came out, lol). i used lion brand thick & quick, in the red/black colorway. i wore it for the weekend we were in oregon, then frogged it cuz i didn't like it.

4. I prefer metal needles. while i own plastic & wood needles (do bamboo needles fall under the wood category?), i really like metal best. i'm a fast knitter, and plastic and wood hang up too much for me. except socks. i think i do own some metal sock needles (i think they're in the basement in a sock that i had attempted with some blue baby yarn i'd gotten in a grab bag), i seem to like the bamboo ones. plastic? meh. i haven't tried the Denise's, (stop shouting, ok!), so i can't pass judgement on those, but the ones i have are circulars, and inflexible at best. blech.

5. I prefer straight needles. I do use circs for large pieces, but there's something so primal about using straights, and i'm fastest with them. and that extends to dpn's as well. i've tried magic loop, and frankly, it s ucked. i also tried socks on 2 circs, and i didn't care for that either. if i ever try toe up socks again, it will be on dpn's.

6. Very few knitting patterns intimidate me. Example: see this shawl? scroll down a bit, i get wordy, lol. this is the flowerbasket shawl from IK. don't ask me when, i can't recall, lol. ok, ok, lemme look it up, lol. poo, no luck. i think it's the spring 2004 issue, but don't quote me(Edit: Thanks to Clara over at KR, i found out it was in the fall 2004 issue. it's also availabe at fiber trends. now back to the story, lol) . i had a tough time with it, because i kept getting off on the count in the first chart, and frogged it numerous times. thank goodness tara's silk noil takes a beating. and since i just found out it's machine washable, i'll have to let my SIL know, lol. However, once i got it, i whizzed along famously. AFTER i finished it, i found out that for a first REAL lace project, it was a humdinger. hmmmm. no fear. it's just yarn, ya know?

7. I don't mind ACK. it's lovely for charitable knitting. i knit for the yahoo group All Crafters For Charity, also known as AC4C, and we do many baby hospitals. ACK works great for babies, and is cheap. and many hospitals/neonatal wards ask for acrylic specifically, so the wee ones don't develop allergies to wool/alpaca/etc.

8. I love, love, love knitting with my handspun. however, i tend to give it away, lol. i never seem to have enough to do one project. however, with stephanie's blog step in, (laurie) and her pieces about piece-knitting and incorporating it into sweaters, i might just have to investigate further.

9. I knit while i'm in front of the computer. While reading blogs. And listening to book tapes. I'm a major multitasker. Especially with Clapotis, and the teddy bear for AC4C i'm doing right now.

10. Wow, i'm having a tough time coming up with one more. Ummmm. ok, let's try this. If any of you can come up with something that most of y'all don't know about me, i'll give a prize. don't ask me what. maybe some of my handspun?

and just in case you were curious:

What I'm Reading
The Simarillion by JRR Tolkien
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, Pearl, & Sir Orfeo (a translation) by JRR Tolkien
1984 by George Orwell (i'm on a classic kick lately)(book tape at mark's)
The Dark Tower by Stephen King (book tape at my house)
All Things Wise & Wonderful by James Herriot (book tape in the car)
Shadow Dawn by George Lucas

and yes, i can keep them all straight

lockdown

i really feel i need to address this.

What is wrong with our society, where someone can feel justified in taking a gun to a school, and slaughtering whomever they choose? After seeing a third deadly school shooting, this one with the most innocent of people, the Amish, I have severe concerns for the sanity of us as a people. What i do know, is that there are 5 dead little girls (and the rest are in serious/grave condition), and a dead principal, and one dead teenage girl. all those lives, ended so abruptly, with no real rhyme or reason.

I sat liam down last night, and asked him about his school's lockdown policy. he had no clue what i was talking about, or what to do. That frightened me. Liam is such an innocent. I emailed his principal last night. this school has over 600 students, so i'm sure she was just inundated, but i received an email within an hour, telling me the school's plans, and that they had a drill last spring, but had called it an emergency drill, so as to not frighten the children. now they're going to call it a lockdown. while this does relieve my mind a bit, this school had an armed robbery last fall. a pizza delivery guy was going out a west door, and was held up, during school hours. the school then instituted a policy that ALL doors except the front one (on the northeast corner of the building) would be locked after the kids were in. that might help the invasion problem, but still. i'm scared for my kids.

aren't you?