It Must Have Been a Party

'Cuz My Place is Trashed...

In a really good way, not like my 21st Birthday way. There are plastic eggs and candy wrappers, Easter Grass, play sand and yard grass, mysterious spots and specks on the carpet and woodfloors, too. Tons of linen to be washed, toys to be picked up, Thank-you's to be written and wine bottles to be recycled.

I am so exhauseted and I haven't done a thing.

I have beautiful flowers from MIL to enjoy... makes the rest less noticable...not really, but the flowers are gorgeous.











Here we are. INBA is so happy to go to Church. He ended up sleeping through the whole Mass, woke up at the end, excited and exclaiming, "I was really good in Church!!"
Uh, yeah.








My Sister and her kids were here, too.

They all hunted eggs around the yard.

The Easter Bunny hid them at 11pm the night before. Honestly, they seemed pretty well hid until the sun came up. But that is ok, because 3 of the 4 hunters were male and we know how males look for stuff. Hiding in plain sight is the toughest to spot.



Oh, How Spoiled I Am!!




My Friends spoiled me. An outrageously gorgeous knitting bag along with 4 projects and a book of socks!!! Whew! Thank you, Laurie and Celtic Queen!

And I am noticing something about myself. I love socks. I enjoyed the Olympic sweater, and really knitting just about anything, but I think that socks are just the best. Oh, and my shawls, too, but the lace patterns are still stressful and I have to be really awake to concentrate on the patterns. But Socks are my thing and I am just going to embrace it.


And since The Mister knows this, I am in like Flynn.

He gave me a wool sock kit from Peace Fleece.
How awesome is my Man?

I think he likes socially conscious knitting, too.



And you know that this picture doesn't do the colors justice.

YUM!









Oh, so I felt a little guilty.

I cast on his other sock.

I am almost ready to turn the heel (I tell myself.)














Lookie here. This is my pleasure. I don't know why I feel so guilty for absolutely loving this sock yarn.

Part of it is probably the coolness of learning a new method, but most of it is just the color and pattern itself. Those little flecks that you can see in the dark green are the metallic sparkles. I really like the sparkle (I think I mentioned that before.) And do you see how the blue and white pattern is different each band?

Very cool and Very amusing.

My new Sock book has another method for toe up and a couple of ways of doing the heel. I am anxious to try them. I am thinking of doing some baby sock size testers. It is hard on me when I am feeling like I need to hurry a project so that I can get on to the next to try something new. My temperment doesn't allow for unfinished to linger, it makes me a bit manic trying to finish it all. Unfortunately this leads to terrible procrastination, I don't start things until I am confident that I can finish them.

Come to think of it, that is probably why I like socks. They are portable, relatively quick to finish, and even though I usually only get to do a row here or there, they are with me most all the time. I can feel productive with them even if it takes me a month to do one sock. And I don't have to feel bad because I have another project that I work on only at home.

Tricky mind. Funny how I play games with myself and don't realize.
Actually, a little disturbing.
I guess I should start cleaning my house or it never will get done.

Ah, Spring

Last Weekend...

The men of the house spent a relaxing afternoon in the back yard.
The Mister gave the grass a cut. I was a bit concerned, he was grinning as he passed under the window I was watching from... grinning and mowing. He said later when I asked (teased) him about it that he was really happy that the mower started and didn't smell really bad. MMM-HMM.
What ever it takes, babe.

After a bit of cloud watching, they tossed the ball around for a while.






Catch it!


What was Mommy doing? Mopping, sweeping, laundry... mommy stuff. A good time was had by all.











One of The Mister's socks is complete. I should have thought to take a pic of it on his foot... it looks better on.

I really don't care for the color... but it looks right when it is actually on his foot...guess that is why it is his sock.


If I was a good wife and an obedient knitter, I would have cast on the second one immediately... but no. I have some knit picks Autumn Leaves on needles for me, but knit the picot edge hem and 2 rows of the lace pattern and haven't had the whatever-it-is to sit down with them again. So, I started something else for me that I have been wanting to do for a while.


My Disco color yarn that Laurie gave me. Fortissima colori socka color. It is all in German, so I am not entirely sure which part is the official name. It makes no matter to me. It sparkles and that is all that matters. Acutally, even better than it sparkles, it has a really great pattern. I will post more progress, soon.

Obviously, I am doing my first toe up pattern. Quite fun. It is really weird to knit up with the toe closed. It feels wrong. I do like, however, that I can try it on as I go... almost to distraction... did I mention that it spakles?

Me 'n the Harlot

A Little Bit of Pittsburgh Cool.

What to do on a Friday night in Pittsburgh while the hubby and kids are tucked in snug and well? Spend it with a Harlot, baby.

My most recent brush with celebrity, is the lovely Stephanie Pearl McPhee. She was at Knit One here in the 'burgh for book signing. She didn't do a reading, she instead entertained us with anecdotes about her quest to be cool and how she undermines her own efforts by ending up just being herself. Which, I must say, is pretty cool. How unbearably plain to be just like other people... especially people that try so hard to be just like cool people.

I found it really comforting to listen to her talk, aside from the fact that she is highly amusing, but she talks normal. I mean, she is Canadian, and having grown up in Northern Michigan... well, it just sounds right to listen to a Canadian talk.

Whatcha Get???

Well, I didn't take a picture but I bought yarn to make 2 pairs of socks for me. And it is the most expensive sock yarn I have ever bought, so it may take me a bit to work up the nerve to use it. I guess I was on a warm kick last night, because they are all cranberry and browns. I am glad, too, I had done a little too much green lately. And now that I think of it, maybe it is because of the colors in the bag that The Mister has worked out my guilt into giving it to whom it was intended. What ever the reasons...I like it.
AND, a kit to make a knit shark. Of Course for INBA. The Mister was not nearly as excited as I told him he needed to be. But it really just isn't his way. Anyway, I want it to be a surprise for the boy, so I am anxiously awaiting my evening knitting time so that I can start it. I was proud of myself for not opening it up at 12:30 last night when I got home... but I had an appointment at the gym for 9 am... my priorities are whacked.

April showers?

Good morning. Not. brrr.

look at my poor daffodils. all bent over and sad.










Ah, the Boys...

Actual conversation as they were building 'forts' with the blankets in the living room.
"I want the Rainbow one!" says Eldest.
"No, it is mine." says INBA.
"Here use this one. I want the Rainbow one."
"NO!"
"Oh, that doesn't look good. I think this one will look better." Hands him yet another blanket.
"Oh, all right." INBA seems happy for this advice.
"Yeah, that's it, that looks a lot better. I'll use the Rainbow one, ok?"
"OK! Thanks Eldest!"

My Grandma Sides always said you got more flies with honey than vinegar. Only if the fly doesn't notice that you switched the bait on him.

I had to leave the room, I was laughing so hard.

Busy Weekend

Bag Lady Strikes Again.


I made a bag yesterday. It really wasn't so bad once I made that first snip. Then it was just another piece of cotton. More pictures are here. I am torn about the gifting of this bag. I really, really like it.
While rummaging through my stash, I found some really lovely brocade remnants. Gold with a leaf motif and another lighter gold with a chrysanthemum motif. Yum. Only about 1/2 yard each. Hmm. What to do. I have them laying on the ironing board. We'll see.
So, doing a bit of sewing has given me new appreciation for my sewing and my knitting. I think I took for granted the wonder that is my sewing machine before I began knitting. I said before that I look at my socks in a whole new way once I invest many hours in creating them. I guess when I could whip up a bag or pajamas or whatever in a relative wink, it didn't feel like it meant as much. Honestly, I was sloppy and accepted a lot that was easy to remedy because I was lazy and didn't feel like it was worth my time to fix a mistake. Granted I am not a perfectionist, but I really left some of my sewing projects with substandard finishing, even by my own standards.

I was really proud of myself this morning when I ripped out the tab for the closure to this bag. I hadn't given it any batting, it needed some strength and continuity with the rest of the bag. I didn't like the way I put the snap on or the way the button looked that I used to try and hide it. I didn't like the length of the tab. It was just lacking. I could have left it and it would have been ok. But I ripped it out, cut it off, gave it some bat, edge stitched it and then re-applied it. Then, I was dissatisfied with some of my topstitching and I even ripped and re-did that! It took all of 10 minutes, maybe. Now I really like the bag and I am not sure that I will be able to give it away. Hmm.

I think it is the knitting. I have hardly given away anything that I have knit compared to what I have sewn over the years. While I think that it is good that I am finally doing some things for myself, I think it is more about the investment of time that I have a hard time giving away. This is probably a bigger issue than I want to think about this morning. Either way, it gives me a new respect for and allows me to give more value to my sewing. It is worth my time to create something just the way it needs to be finished, it really doesn't take long with the technology at my disposal. It is worth my effort and care to create and give a gift of my talent. Even if I did use a mechanical marvel to do it, the gift is still meaningful and original and unique.

Sick Kid

Even though I am having such an affirming moment, my baby (not a baby anymore) is sick. He slept late, I thought it was the time change. He asked for a toasted english muffin and some milk. I went to take my shower and when I emerged, I found him in bed. He said he needed some rest. He did eat most of his muffin, and he isn't particularly warm, so I am not really worried, just amazed that he climbed back into bed. God Bless him.

I'm a Model

If you know what I mean


My doll, Pansy, here, usually stands around my sewing room in her undies and a 1st communion veil. Lucky day for her is today when she is Model of the Moment. I finished the sweater and skirt for Miss M's Mimi. It looks so nice on Pansy, I feel bad taking it off to put in the present pile. Poor Pansy, I guess I wasn't much of a Doll-girl, otherwise I might have made her her own suit of clothes by now. To be practical, however, it would be a bit of a hassle to undress her to try on a garment and then dress her again. Besides, her undies are pretty. No, I won't post a picture of Pansy in her undies, that would be indecent.






Sprung!


The crocus is already waning.













A couple of days of real warmth and then an afternoon of rain and the Jonquils open their eyes.























The Forsythia that is between us and our neighbors to the east...




and what it looks like from my desk. It is a nice bit of sunshine on an otherwise grey day.





I need a little oomph. I keep looking at the fabric for the bag but I just cannot seem to pick it up and do something. This may stem from having that Rooster fabric for at least 3 years. I really love it. For some reason, lately I have been focused on using the stash of stuff that I love. My Italian yarn, for example. Now I want to make a bag out of the Roosters. Maybe I haven't given myself enough time to commit to the commitment of cutting. It has been laying on my ironing board for only a week. It took a couple of months for me to decide what to do with the Italian yarn.
I really like just standing and looking at it for a few minutes.
And really, if my Sister doesn't like the bag, it sure won't hurt me to keep it.

*sigh*

I just need to cut it.

Maybe tomorrow.

A positive thing about PGH

I thought I had run out of good things about the 'burgh, but it was so lovely on Thursday that I remembered another.

**Rita's. Tangerine Italian Ice. Strawberry Gelati. Chocolate Custard.
They should all have an asterick of their own. YUM.

Only for Gold

Rumplestiltskin

So I was looking at spinning wheels because Laurie had hers at our knitting group last week and I am a total fiber-aholic looking to feed the beast. Looking, just looking. I told The Mister about my meanderings through said topics and he was so supportive! He said, "you better be able to spin gold!" Can you believe what a man I married! Gold, indeed. Funny.

I guess that means that I won't get my own kiwi for my birthday. *pout*

Either way, I will Entertain Myself.

I joined this group of knitters sewing bags in April. We already know that I am a total bag-lady, so this is not a stretch. Although, I am finding myself really excited and ambitious at the moment. I think the sun and warmth that we have had the last 2 days has refilled my tank a bit. Could it really be spring?!?!

How Happy am I?

My best friend, Lady K, actually read my blog and left a comment without being harassed by the blogger! Thanks, girl. And if there is a website for the trout festival, I will advertise for you. Look, there I went and found the link for you. Ah, Kalkaska.

Men At Work

You Know Mommy Likes a Clean Line...














The boys are being trained up right in the trade of painting. The Mister gives them lots of pointers and a scary small space to practice in. But the outcome is fabulous, even if Eldest complained that they had more turns with the brush on the chocolate wall.

Yes, I realize that it is brown, but I like the sound of chocolate better. In general, I like chocolate better. I would say it is my girl gene, but INBA has it, too. Must be the sophisticated-tastes-gene.

I would have liked to have chucked it all to the wind and had the Celtic Queen and her celtlings over for a playdate Saturday morning and been her partner in crime, avoiding family entanglements, but I was really hoping that The Mister would do as he said and finish the room.

Of course, The Mister is a man of his word. YIPPEE! I love color.





Here's a look at what it ends up as. The green is more sage in real life, it looks a bit minty to me in this picture. See the mister there? He is taking a well deserved break. Thanks, Mister!

He loves me, you know.





A Little Knitting.

I finished the sweater for Miss M's Mimi. I think the sleeves turned out pretty cool, they are pastel on the front and the jewel tones in the back! Funny how the yarn did that, I didn't really notice the pastels until it did.

I guess they weren't kidding about it not being a good time to start a new project. There were several errors in the pattern and to finish the ensemble requires needles that I did not have until I purchased them today! Really, how could I not have size 4 dpns? unreal.

A Bit of All

Poor Girl isn't Photogenic

I know how she feels. But really her heart is beautiful. About 15 inches wide and about 50 inches long, she is a nice length of italian wrap.

Now I just hope to find the right dress to show her off.

Make fun if you will, and yes, I did indeed once outfit myself for skiing around the color scheme of a pair of gloves... but I have in mind the right dress for my beautiful wrap. Oh, and I also have in mind the right body for that right dress for my beautiful wrap... At least the wrap is right.

Oh, My Guys DO Love Me!!




That's right, boys, smooth even strokes!

MMM-HMMM, that's right, Mister, don't you dare leave a less than clean edge.




















Wall-la!!!!

Joy of joys! It is a chocolate brown. YUM!

The wall facing this is all bricked. The chocolate (which has a bit of red to it) is the dark color of the bricks and the sofa color is the light color in the bricks. The other walls are going to be a sage green and will hopefully push the walls apart (green being compliment of red) while pulling the room together!! The Mister leads me to believe that this weekend could involve more painting. JOY!!

Not All Roses

The Mister and the Boys did this work as I was off galloping through the midwest. Actually just to southern MI. My Grandmother, Rachel Frances Monroe, age 76, passed away on Friday, March 17. I won't lie and say that I was close to my Grandma. Families being what families are, mine is self indulgently dysfunctional. I could cry all day long for a grandmother that my Grandmother could never be and that is all it would be, crying. Instead I let my Grandma inspire me in the only way she could...

1 If you speak unkindly to people, people quit talking to you. This can come in handy, although telemarketers don't seem to respond as well as others. Still, if not used judiciously, it can backfire and soon the only people that will talk to you are the ones you pay to treat your hypochondria.

2 Shopping is not effective therapy. Someday someone is going to go through your belongings saying things like, "what the *#$% did she need this for?" And, "the woman wasted her money on this and then never opened it?" Or just plain, "what a shame." I know it feels exhilarating in the moment to buy what I do not need or sometimes even really want, but how much do I really use? Shopping is a symptom not a cure. Again, once we leave the store or hang up with customer service we are still alone.

3 File those papers. Geesh, be kind and dispose of old receipts and organize the paid pile and for goodness sake, put your life insurance records and will in one stinking place.

4 Love my children like I could screw-up their entire lives with emotional baggage. "Handle with Care," they make a label for luggage, but it should be tatooed across the bum of every newborn. I don't doubt that my Grandmother loved my Mother, but I am not sure my Mother could say the same... Hey, it took years of therapy for me to allow and accept the way my Mother loves me, but I didn't have near the life my Mother did.

5 Forgive

6 Love

7 Try and try some more.

In the end, it is the feeling that people are left with when they think of you that matters. I want to be thought of with a smile. Even if my words are forgotten, if I leave a warm hug in your heart you will always remember me kindly. It is my goal, at least.

Oh, and now my Mom is paranoid. My Brother had his accident on Valentine's Day, Grandma passed on St. Patrick's Day, so Easter is doomed... oh, and it is my Birthday, too. DOUBLE WHAMMY! Hide the children and lock the doors!

Relax, Mercury is retrograde only until the end of this month.

Speaking of a Warm Hug

Not that I thought my friends had forgotten me, it is just that it is hard with a young family to find 10 minutes with the Mister let alone 10 minutes to bond with friends that are a continent away. As an excuse it is pretty lame, but I just don't have the huevos to phone a friend at 5am pst even if they are probably awake and it is convenient for me.

Imagine my confusion, surprise and delight when I went to the mail box and found this!

My lovely friend from Northern California, Shannon, sent me a Yarn Harlot book! Happy Birthday to me! Wow, Shannon, thanks. I mentioned in a previous post how voracious I get with a good book. Well, let's just say that today seemed like a good day for the boys to take a nap! *snicker* Ah, I needed a good laugh and this book certainly is one. When is bed-time, by the way?

Of course, nothing is simple. In the midst of my delight, I was all sad and missing CA.

Why does it matter?

It is just a place.

I don't know.

But it seems to matter.

Bags make it better...
I had started this one before the olympics. I have been carrying it for a few days now. I think I like it. It holds enough, but not so much. I am a bit on the fence about the handles. They are wood. I love the look of them and they aren't bad to carry, but the bag just doesn't sit up nice because of the weight of them. Is that a silly reason to dismiss a bag? I also think it needs a bit of embellishing of the handle tabs, maybe nifty buttons or something of the like. But they need to be the right ones. I tried all the ones I have, just not right.

Notice how my sunglasses are buried at the bottom? My dentist told me today that we are actually lucky that we don't see much sun...

1 we appreciate it more when it shows itself

2 we are saving our retinas from all that scorching light. We are healthier for it.

Who says dentists lack humor.

So What Amuses Me, Now?
How about a doll sweater. My grandma had a box of odd balls. She was a crochet-er. I saw this ball that was working up into a granny square and fell in love. My mom just cringed and said it hurt her eyes. I really think there was a mistake at the hospital... but I was born on an Air Force Base and the military doesn't make mistakes, right?

Anyway, it is a good size ball, so I am making an out fit for Miss M's Mimi. This is the back. I am hoping to have enough for a skirt and tam, too. can't you just see a pom-pon in this?

Time for Lunch...
INBA would rather do this than eat lunch. Not that he is a big lunch eater, but he re-arranged my spices at least 3 times in one sitting. I have given up trying to place them so that I can find them. Even if I waited days and then, under the cloak of darkness, put them where I wanted them, he was pulled by some unseen force to view my handywork with thinly veiled disdain. Ok, kid, do what you will, at least this time they are standing up and not stacked on theirs sides... talk about risky spicing.

How Could I Forget?

A Great thing about PGH...

*The Eagle's Nest. Giant Eagle, the grocery store who's name I cannot pronounce, has a "play-place" for kids 3 to 9 while their parents shop. BRILLIANT!!!!! I simply imply that we need to go get groceries and the boys have their shoes on and coats in hand. Child magazine put Giant Eagle at #2 for their 10 most family friendly grocery stores, I cannot imagine what #1 does... deliver?

Congratulations are in order!
Our lovely playgroup friend had a beautiful baby girl on Sunday. They named her Jessica Dawn. Not just a lovely name, but appropriate because she was born just shy of 4 am! Early riser! Sheesh. As lovely as babies are and as much as my hormones taunt me at times, I have no desire to go down that path again. Good luck to you!

I Read a Book
The reason that I don't make time to read actual books is simple. I really, really enjoy a good book. Yes, I know that makes little sense unless you understand something about me and my lack of will power. I devour books. Little is as important to me as getting to the end of a really good book. And this weekend was no different. I picked up The Joy of Knitting by Lisa R Myers at the library. Not that this book was really that "good" as in well written, but it had enough information and trivial tidbits that I thoroughly enjoyed it and read it in 2 days.

What did I learn from this book? Knitting is a joy. Whew!

And there were some nifty resources listed in the appendix.

Like,
Peace Fleece and Shetland Wool Brokers and wool works

And there are a couple of patterns that I would like to try. What more could a girl want out of a book?

So We Went to Oakland to the Library. Then over to the Museums. On our way to the Museums, INBA points at the Cathedral of Learning and says, "I want to go there!" So we took our first campus tour of a college of interest for our youngest son. It seems a bit early, but if the kid is shows interest... in tall buildings...
Anyway, off to the Museums. INBA didn't want to go to the Natural History, so I took him over to the Art. Can you believe that there isn't a single painting of a volcano to be found in the permanent collection?! Plenty of Pittsburgh burning and plenty of trains, no volcanoes. Needless to say, INBA was not impressed.

Knitting Stuff
I don't have a picture, but I started my fourth ball onto my italian wrap (sounds like lunch, but way yummier.) It is lovely and slinky. I am not sure that my desire to bead part of it is going to happen. I found only one book at the library (by Lily Chin) about beaded knitting. Not really encouraging for the visions that I had. I am withholding judgement until I finish the length and show it to Laurie, my guru.

Brief Birthday stuff...

Like I said, very happy to find Peace Fleece. Social and Economic Justice Knitting. Whoo-hoo.
So If someone wants to bestow upon me either Peg's Mittens or the Classic Wool Sock kit, ok by me. I know this seems a bit much to keep adding present links, I just really don't want to buy my own gift this year. So pardon me.

The List Gets Longer

* I have really nice neighbors.
* I found magnetic snaps at the craft store. (that counts as pgh, otherwise I would be liking online shopping)

I think I am going to start needing some help here... it takes a village, you know.

Balmy

Yes, a weather report from my house. Balmy and 63. Sick and twisted when 63 feels so warm! Of course, I am still in a turtleneck and wool blend sweater...

What I Really Want

So, I thought of what I really want. The Mister tells me that he reads my blog occasionally. Hey, Mister! I want our family room painted. Yes, I want chocolate brown on that one wall and the sage on the other two. Yes, yes, those are the colors I want. They are in the garage. They just need to be "shaken, not stirred" and half the work is done! OOOOH, if it was done in time for my birthday. MMMMM, well, we all get to enjoy.

I Miss the Olympics

I really do. I don't miss all those darn loose ends of the frog, but I miss the permission to sit down for 15 minutes in the middle of the day when I should have been doing something else and knit. I look longingly at my spot on the couch and then at the clock. Seven o'clock cannot come quick enough some days.

I do love my go knit bag. I love it because I can stick it in my purse. I can have a sock with me all the time and I don't have to worry about losing a needle or anything weird getting stuck in my yarn. I can get a round or two done while waiting to pick up INBA from preschool, while the Mister is driving us to and fro, I even worked some at the Home Show last weekend while the boys played in the children's village! Happy Momma. I just don't get bored and aggitated if I have something that feels productive to do. Thank goodness I learned to knit. It is a pity that I have wasted so much time. I need to make up.

One Thing Before I Go

I forgot to see what number I am up to...

** relatively little squinting with relatively little sun.

probably shouldn't allow myself to be relatively sarcastic...

Bits and Pieces

Something Finished


I really love these socks. I like the striping. Iwill really like it when the weather gets nice enough to wear them... 60?











Something that will eventually be finished



This is the Madison scarf from Knitpicks it seems to be happy to be an ongoing project. One day I will just run out of yarn, I suppose.










Something I hope I can finish




This is what I am doing with the yarn that I bought in Italy before Rick and I were married. Yeah, I have been fondling it for about 8 or 9 years.

So the problem is that I only have 4 balls and I want nothing more than to have some shawl/wrap type thing when I am done... I know this is a huge fantasy, but I figure if I pray the whole way... loaves and fishes, right? Ok, so it is Lent... that must mean something? I would wear it on Easter!


This is the pattern I am using. It is a garter drop stitch pattern that I found in my Vogue Dictionary of Knitting Stitches. I have 55 sts and it looks about 16 inches wide. But I only have 4 balls, 436 yards.

I think I could embellish around it to give it some more length. I thought maybe with some crochet thread and maybe some beads? OOOH, purty.

Why, thank you for asking! Of course I haven't beaded anything before. There was no need... until now. Always up for a new technique. Heaven forbid I ever get bored.

Oh, For Me?

It is quite considerate of you to inquire as to what I would appreciate for my birthday. Really, no gift is necessary. But, if you insist... this would do nicely.
http://www.patternworks.com/PWShopping/partsview.asp?action=lookup&partno=900144
I know. I am a total bag lady. And certainly, pick which ever color you think best. I seriously cannot decide.

I can understand not wanting to encourage the sickness, so how about a lovely tea set?
http://ww2.williams-sonoma.com/cat/pip.cfm
Just the cups and teapot, I am not much for coddled eggs. I do wish they had a small plate to match. Then it would be perfect. So what I have tea alone... I bet I could find tea drinking friends to come to my house if I had such a spiffy set. Either way, I would enjoy looking at it.

I would add the garlic press to the list, but I am going to have to break down and buy one, soon. I am not enjoying garlic fingers from actually mincing. ick.

What about those Guys?

What about 'em? They are still here. Still messing up the house, still dirtying clothes, demanding food, wrestling, crying, and laughing. I bought a book of Sudoku puzzles at the dollar store last week- for me - and Eldest and the Mister cannot put it down. The Mister does most of the work, but Eldest sure gets it and does well with help. Best dollar I have spent in a long time. I enjoy them enjoying it and I get to peek over a shoulder occasionally.

Eldest finished up another session of Floor Hockey this last weekend. He wants me to post his team photo on "our blog." Why do I have to share everything? Get your own blog, kid, it's free. Oh, that whole, I'm not 6 yet, thing. Whatever. I will see what I can do about that picture.

INBA is on another Fido kick. Mostly it is just at home that he refuses to be refered to as anything other than Fido the Dog, but he does bark in public occasionally. I know the kid wants nothing more than an animal pet, but I think this is really far better for his imagination. I hope the worst thing that I do as a mom is not getting him a dog. I would be doing pretty good.

Another good thing?

5. A lovely view from the Fort Pitt Tunnel. When coming through the tunnel into town on a pretty day or at night, the city is lovely. In either direction, the bridges the buildings, the hills, the water, the lights at night all combine for a really nice view.
6. A Convention Center with a view, too. We went to the home show this weekend, too. The upper level has a nice view of PNC park, the river, and a train bridge crosses the river right next to the building. The boys loved watching the freight trains running.
7. Station Square has a fun water fountain. It is one of those ones that they choreograph the water spray and lights to music. Freight trains run along the tracks by that plaza, too.

Happy Lent!

The Best Time of the Year!

I am inspired. It is spring-whether the weather agrees or not. It is 4o days 'til Easter. It is a season of reflection and renewal.

So, in another attempt to ditch the attitude, I set the clock on my laptop to Eastern Time. Yep, I had been on Pacific Time for the last year... talk about denial. No matter, it is adjusted now.

OK, I need another good thing about PGH...
4. The Carnegie Museums are a favorite place. The Science Center, the Natural History Museum and The Art Museum... can't pick a favorite, love them all. I haven't been to the Warhol Museum, yet. I would like to go there on my own once to check out the content before I take the kids.

Bling Bling

The Cheers Are Deafening

Yes, here it is, official...

The pride of accomplishment is really uplifting. INBA wore his sweater to school today. See me beaming?

AND, I taught the school principal to knit. Wonders of all, she is left handed and when I handed her the needles and yarn to begin to knit, she picked the yarn up in her RIGHT hand after I had just shown her with the yarn in my left hand. So I taught her English and she took to it with no qualms. She is a happy GMa, has set herself a goal of a baptismal blanket as a first project and will be fabulous.

I love people who don't hesitate to expand their world. "I can't do that," isn't part of the vocabulary...

Another Great Thing About PGH

2. WYEP an independent radio station that plays the best music on the planet. You can stream online and you can even become a member online, too. Cannot say enough about how much I love this station.

3. Yes, my Knitters are up at the top of the list... Sanity is precious and having buddies that have a similar infatuation with fiber and textile of all sort, well that is priceless. But frankly, Laurie I don't like to acknowledge the ravishing beauty of my cohorts... it is an ego thing, sorry.

A Good Idea

I appreciate your optomism and kindness...

And there are lots of great things about PGH and maybe that is just the thing that I need to do, create a list of good things. Focus on the positive.

So, to be proactive and enthusiastic;

The List of Good Things about PGH

1. Wool Socks, had no use for them in LA.

hmm, is that a good thing? I... am ...being... sucked... into...
no, wool is a great thing.

Olympic Glory

First Things First...Welcome to the top of the podium, darling...

I wasn't absolutely sure it could be done, but I knew I could try...

Me and Apolo, baby! If you don't try, you don't succeed.

I Can't Make This Up

This was lying on the floor in the family room.

I said, "What in the world?! It looks archaic!"

Eldest flies into the room, seriously, I don't think his feet touched the floor, "Cake! Cake! I'll have some Cake!"

And in the "Oh, Dear Lord, What Has My Life Come To?!" Category...

The Mister was googling this afternoon looking for a Steelers Toilet Seat. He thinks it would look perfect with our yellow comode in the first floor powder room.

Must I mention that this powder room is the most frequented lavatory in the house, most certainly by GUESTS?!?! uh, that is just me being irrationally hysterical. Sorry.

Anyway, he saw a picture in the newspaper, today, of some Steeler Freak's, I mean, Fanatic's collection that included the aforementioned throne. He was inspired, with Eldest on his shoulder cheering him on, he found one on EBAY. LUCKY for ME, he wasn't willing to shell out 40 bucks for it! *whew*

I am, however, concerned about my Mister. I then found him looking at video of Dick Butkis (sp?) and he claimed he was actually looking for Olympic information... mmmhmm, looks like football to me. I repeat, the water is tainted. This is not the man I married. I am really concerned.

Speaking of the Lord...

I don't like to make resolutions, set myself up for failure, speak out loud my aspirations to better myself. It could open up a whole can of psychological speculation as to why I plant myself in mediocrity and yet struggle against my self imposed restraints... but let's not go there. What I was meaning to get to is that Lent begins on Wednesday. Since I have little faith in my own will-power, I don't give anything up for Lent (bad Catholic) but I do try to improve something about myself. Generally this has been improving my vocabulary -read, quit the cussing - and this year is no different (try, try again.) Also I am going to finish reading the bible. I started it last summer and I am almost finished, but I need some pressure to finish.

Now, I know I just said that I don't give things up for Lent, but I am going to break my own rule (see how bad I am) and I am going to give something up this year. Can you guess?

I will put in a side note while you are thinking. Did I mention that my Birthday is on Easter this year? Yes, it is a special time. Feel free to shower me with Cadbury Eggs. Actually, I need a new garlic press. Hercules that I am, I broke mine the other day. It was even an OXO. I miss it.

Ok, whatcha think? The suspense is killing me, so I will just tell you that I am giving up my BAD ATTITUDE! I know, you barely noticed my poor disposition since we moved from the Golden State to the grey state, but really, I can't even stand being around me some days. So, I am embracing ( I am cringing as I type this) whatever it is that I need to embrace to shed this coat of gloom that I have been wearing for a year. I realized no one here really knows me as whom I prefer to be, happy, relaxed, optomistic. I am just a snotty, whiny, bitchy (oops, language,) angry, sarcastic, outspoken grouch. Hmm, not particularly flattering. Still, people talk to me and I am sure about me, so just think how much more enjoyable those relationships could be if I don't have such a bad attitude about everything. This is not going to be an easy task. This is the kind of resolution that is the reason I don't make resolutions. But this is for the health and well being of the family, of me. So, help me if you can. But not until next Wednesday :p

Back to the Socks

So now I can go back to knitting my socks without guilt. I have a lacey scarf to finish, too. Always something to keep me busy.

to Frog or not to Frog

I Cannot Knit with Hugh in the House

Shocking but true, Hugh Jackman distracts me. We watched Kate and Leopold last night (total chick flick) and my knitting suffered. I reversed one row and didn't notice until halfway through the next that I put the knee in the wrong spot. I threw it down in disgust, devoted myself to Hugh for a few minutes and then frogged the frog to re-knit. I am getting better at switching colors and am trying to weave ends as I go, when I remember. I only have 3 days left. I am getting a little worried. I am hoping to have the front done by Friday night knitting so that I can pick some brains about good finishing techniques. Fingers are crossed.

What the Frog?!

Uh...
So this is intarsia. Hmm, I guess my friends tried to warn me. I don't think that I listened. Whew. I was supposed to challenge myself, accomplished that. But look at the back of this sweater!!! Uh... yuck. The Mister even commented about all the loose ends. So I took on more than I anticipated. Look how cute it will be, though.
















Brother Update
I made it back from Indiana. My Brother is out of the hospital and on the mend. He looks better each day and is healing. He has a hole in the back of his leg where his femur broke through. After the second surgery to clean out bone fragment, he said the pain was a lot less. His ear was torn from the top down into his earlobe, lucky he has a fleshy lobe, could have lost the whole thing. Anyway, he is all banged up and bruised but is getting around on crutches a little. It will be a long process, but he will be fine. He was happy to receive a new Steelers hat, I figured he had lost his other in the accident, but he had been wearing his Michigan hat. Oh, probably the worst of the lot, he had taken his dog, Canello, into the vet last Monday because he was sick and not acting right... Canello had to be put down on Friday. He had some central nervous system disease and wasn't responding to medication. What a lousy week for my Brother.

What about My Boys?

Well, they were really torn. They had daddy all to themselves for 3 days! I guess INBA missed me out loud, but Eldest just called to tell me what a "GREAT!" time he was having with daddy. "I think about you, Mommy, when I am doing art. I do think about you." I should have stayed away just a bit longer. I think the Mister missed me, he was picking at the same leftovers for 3 days. Yes, I did leave other things for him to make. He just didn't. Bachelor life. :) Look out, guys, Momma's back.

Hole-y Cow!

Darn it!

I knew it would happen eventually. I am just as disappointed as I thought I would be. So now I need to learn to mend. Funny how when you spend 2 bucks and 2 minutes in a store, a sock doesn't mean much... spend a few hours and all of a sudden, I see why one would fix a sock.

The Frog

Well, I finished the other sleeve and cast on the front. The plan is to get to start on the frog this evening. I am going to Indiana this weekend, I am not deluding myself that I will work on it there. I am hoping to get far enough that it doesn't bother me that I am working on a sock or something instead of the sweater. I have 10 days or something, I hope 3 doesn't wreck me. And even if it does... he ain't heavy, he's my Brother.

Mixed Emotions

Progress

Here is the status as of 11pm Monday Night. Pretty impressed with myself, I must say. Tonight, about half the second sleeve is worked. That is a good thing.

A Not Good Thing...

My Brother had a car accident last night. Details are sketchy, but what results is this: He is alive. He was thrown from the vehicle, he shattered his femur, has undergone surgery to have a rod installed, will have follow-up surgery on Thursday to clean out more bone fragment. He also almost completely ripped off his ear, but the plastic surgeon who repaired it said that there won't be a scar. He has a neck brace because of some swelling on the back of his neck that may be contributing to some numbness in his fingers. And needless to say he is in a lot of pain. Even morphine can only do so much. Obviously, I am reporting this second hand.

My Sister drove up from Indy to be with him. He is in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette. If you want more info, leave a comment or contact me via email. I am going to be there this weekend. We haven't decided yet if The Mister and the boys will go with me or not. I feel so helpless and so worried about my little Brother. Thank God, he is young and strong, he will heal. I believe that.

Still, say a prayer for him.

Olympic Spirit

Let the Games Begin!



The object of the game is to complete a drop shoulder sweater sized for a little boy with an intarsia frog on the front. This is where I stand. I finished the back as the coverage on the TV was finishing up. I think I will do the sleeves next and save the front for the agonizing finish.
By the by, this picture does no justice to the colors of the sweater. It is a forest green with a light sage for the hem. Much prettier in person.










Along the Lines of Pretty...




Oooh-la-la, I believe is how they say mighty nice in French. Look at what my friend Laurie gave me. A souvenir from her trip to Paris. It is so soft and sparkle-ee! I have to say that the gift was ill timed as she gave this to me last night... Just as the Olympic quest is begining?!?!? How can I concentrate on green wool with this in my hand?!?!? Would seem that someone was trying to psyche me out-If I didn't know that she is just incredibly nice and thoughtful. It will make a phenomonal accessory for my blue coat. Don't you just love the business card?

So then I guess this is an opportune time to make a few statements about the inhabitants of this place we call home, now. For as much as the weather SUCKS, and really it is the lack of sunshine that SUCKS, there are some really nice people who live here. I know that it takes time to establish oneself in a new place, 3 to 5 years at least, and having only been here not quite a year, I have been very fortunate to know the people that I do. We have a really nice community within our Parish and School, the Newcomers club has given us an outlet for the kids and the Mister and I as a couple, and the Friendly knitters at the BN are more than I could have hoped for. While I shall continue to raz the residents of these hills for being as special as they are, it isn't because I don't have a special affection for them. My goodness, I married a 'burgher! I must find it a bit amusing... although I didn't know just what I was getting into, I am beginning to understand. So pardon me, as I mourn the sunny shores of our former home, knowing that I am grateful for your friendship.

Take a Silly Picture of Me, Mommy!



INBA wanted to get into the act. Luckily, Eldest didn't see him being silly with his necklace. Isn't he cute? INBA is 4. Cute is the only thing that saves him.









Last Note

My apologies for the comments snafu. I assumed that when I set up the new blog that the settings for the postings also transfered with some of the other information that did. It did not, but I have corrected that and you may now post comments to your heart's content, annonymously or other-wise. :) And I would appreciate that.

I Shouldn't Think So Much

Inspired
Since I am so happy with my new rearrangement, I decided I should fix a UFO. I make burp rags for my standard baby gift. They are flannel with various edge finishes and an embroidered tribute to the bundle of joy. Well, on the blue, I put the wrong name. Obviously, I could not give it away. And I find it too cute to discard, so I salvaged it! I appliqued a heart over the offensive writing. It is the softest heart, ever, to boot. It is Minkee, some $20/yd fabric that I saw in one store only ever in LBC. I made the softest blanket, ever, for the Mister's godson (our nephew) and couldn't part with the softest scraps, ever. See why? Reuse. See, Mister, a method to the madness. And the next newborn gets to urp on it. Lucky kid.
JoAnn Fabrics has a bad knock off of this super (cannot overstate) soft fabric. It makes me sad, but I fondle it when I go in and wish I had a trust fund to go get me some more of the good stuff. Notice that I added a link to the name above... I googled and found the stuff... UH-oh.

And Then
I started another bag. I know, I know, another bag. But I have this gorgeous fabric with asian Lilies that I bought in Northern Michigan when I went to see my GodMother this summer. Really, I need another bag. It makes me happy. End Of Discussion.

So What Of This Olympic Sweater?


This is the official first attempt at intarsia. Obviously I need a bit more practice. I think it looks like Mickey's buttons. Mickey's belt buckle. He had a bit of a swagger, it could work. Either way, I will try to not have it so puckery when I do the Olympic sweater... Less than 48 hours until Cast On! EEK!







Beautiful Child Story

I need this kind of moment.

Standing in the kitchen, a sunny moment in the afternoon...
"Eldest, come here, I need a hug."
He comes willingly and I bend to embrace him. He lets go early. Dangling his head and arms back he groans, "Mom!"
"I'm not done yet, sometimes I need really big hugs." I look at him and don't let go.
He looks at me. The sun is streaming across his face as I am bent over him and he is arched back, wrapped in my arms. "I can see myself in your eyes."

I know what he was saying... he is 5 and quite literal. But doesn't that just grab your heart? It took all I had not to weep on the child.

I have a really blessed life. I b*tch and complain and whine and all, but I am a really fortunate and blessed woman. Even if we live here.

Speaking of Here

I did not take the boys to the Victory Parade... It was at 11am and there ended up being 250,000 people there. Eldest ended up watching the thing on TV in the school gym. Thank goodness we make an effort to give the child an education. The Mister sees no problem with this disruption in the academic schedule. It is the water. I just know it is. I am going nowhere near the tap again... Hey, if Michael Jackson can bathe in Evian, so can I.

I Have Been Thinking

First off, the movie was Maria Full of Grace. A really good movie. I felt her desperation.

On the Artistic Temperment

So, I like to read Wil Wheaton's blog. He writes well about what ever moves him. Some things I just don't understand, like poker and Fantasy Games. And that is ok. What I find most interesting about him is the way he writes about the artistic temperment, if he even means to be doing so. Of course he is an artist. He is an actor, a writer, a creative spirit in probably all that he does. And he is acheingly insecure.

I was thinking about this as I was sorting laundry. (today is House Blessing day, thank you fly-lady ) Anyway, I think that it is interesting that insecurity is an integral part of being an artist. Here we are talking about a very accomplished guy who is talking about what a loser he feels like. If you have ever spent any time around artists or reading about artists or being an artist I think you know just what I mean. The more insecure the artist is, the more s/he has to prove, to her/himself, to the world. And really, if you think about modern art and how seemingly incomprehensible it can be and how smug the artist seems because no one understands it... doesn't that just reinforce for the artist that no one understands? Validating an insecure ego? I know this sounds too psychobabble-ish, but I find it really interesting. I could go on into the unfinished, but that was supposed to be my senior thesis, not a blog entry.

Ok, so turning on myself and my insecurities, my biggest problem with creating my art (painting) is that I don't want to be insecure. Not that anyone does, but isn't it all about what you do with it? So I spent so much time getting over my life and the things that have made me who I am, and I have nothing that I have to say in paint. Curious, eh? So now, my creative energies are channeled into my domestic life. I cook (the Mister tells me all the time how cooking is an Art while baking is a Science which is why I am better at the former,) I sew (there is not much more functional or beautiful than a colorful quilt) and I knit (because my feet are cold.) And I think that I find so much joy in these things because there isn't much to be misunderstood. Perhaps I feel it necessary to remind the Mister and his brood how spoiled they are because I pour my love out on them in such a rich way, but it is as much for me as for them to know that I put me into what I do for them. Does that make sense? I know that every parent feeds their family and makes sure that the children are warm. It is a satisfying act in and of itself to love your family. For me, I need a bit more to validate what I do. My insecurity is that what I do doesn't matter because it is just what I am supposed to do. So, I strive to make our life a bit more personal. It matters that I love you enough to make you a pair of socks, write a poem onto the back of a quilt that I made with fabrics you helped pick out, bake you a cake that was droopy in the center but tasted good. I love you enough to give you pieces of my soul to hold in your memory of our lives together. And maybe my time and talent doesn't mean as much to them as it does to me. And I am secure enough to be ok with that. But I do want them to understand, I do want to be validated and I do see value in my creative process and the sanity it gives to me.

Funny how we all feel so different and alone and isolated and yet we all go through pretty much the same stuff. Funny how that doesn't make it any easier.

Back to Real Life





I finally got off my duff and quit complaining and rearranged my sewing room. Well, the Mister did the muscle work, but I feel much better about the flow of the room.












You might think it looks like chaos, and it is a bit still, but now I know where I want to put a couple more shelves and another lamp, maybe two. All of a sudden I have a place that I am wanting to hide in. I was feeling overwhelmed with the disorder that was the previous arrangement. The Mister's Mom can verify what that was like. But we were still able to accomplish a good bit in that mess.

An artist needs a decent studio.

Super Bowl Mania

I Cannot Knit While Reading Subtitles

I know that there aren't generally subtitles during a football game. And I did not have the closed captions on either. I am refering to Eldest's mittens that I knit while watching a wonderful movie about a Colombian drug mule that was in Spanish with English subtitles. I have forgotten the name, give me a minute, I will think of it. Anyway, Eldest has lost those mittens (of course, I didn't put a big connector string on them) or I would show you a picture of his mitten and its pygmy cousin (the one knit during the movie- I left out a few rows.)



Instead, I will show you the socks that I am working on. I was working the heel flap and gusset tonight during the Super Bowl that those crazy Steelers won. You cannot tell in the picture, but I cannot really do accurate decreases while watching the commercials. My gusset is a little wonky, but not enough for me to frog. Either way, I am on the home stretch into the instep. I can finish this up and then focus on training for the olympics. I need to swatch to learn the intarsia and finish charting my frog. I have the grid taped to the window over a blow up of the picture, half traced. For many reasons other than my tracing we could use some sunshine in the 'burgh.






Speaking of the 'Burgh

I suppose I am going to have to take the boys out to see the victory parade. I suppose that it is history. I suppose that Eldest is going to be stoked that Ben "Roth-ees-burg" and the Steelers won the big game. I suppose this means that we will have to endure more... ugh. Well, Congratulations, it was quite an accomplishment.

Am I Your Favorite?

I said to Eldest the other day, "You are my favorite 5 year old."
He replies, "I am your only 5 year old!"
"OK," I say, "You are my favorite Eldest."
Exasperated, he cries, "I am your only Eldest!"
"Well, of course, what else would you be?"
"How about your favorite kid?"
"But I have two kids, how can I have a favorite?"
He grunts and stomps off.

Want to Share my Disease?

I am a huge fan of saline rinse now. Two nights ago my throat was getting sore. So, before bed I rinsed with saline and went to bed. The next day I was sick, not a horrible sick, but a fatigued gotta-nap-frequently sick with yucky postnasal drip. I rinsed again last night and today I feel way better. So I am crediting a shower for my sinuses. And if not, it sure didn't hurt.

Have You Had Enough?

What is with all the questions today? I must be in a mood. Either way, I will be glad to see next Monday come along. I watch the Super Bowl for the commercials. Really.