Birthday, the extended version!

Some days, you just gotta love the mailman! First, I opened this, from King's Pottery
I wish I had a wish jar!
See? How wishes do come true? I love this sheepy jar. And inside was this. Oh, my first honest to gosh wish.

Can you read it? Okay, in case there is someone who has vision as bad as mine is as of late. You know who you are. It says, "My wish for you is to have many happy years in the fiber arts! " Gosh! so appropriate too! Some people may wish for world peace and heck! Who doesn't want that? But fibery goodness. There is something to wish about.
NOW ACCEPTING WISHES!
But wait! There's more!

Guilty as charged!
Nuts for knitting coffee mug. Although in my case, it will be a tea mug. What a perfect gift from the best Australian friend I have! Nothing RANDOM about it! (I will not mention that she is the only Aussie friend I have....but she's still the BEST!) Thank you from the bottom of my tea mug, Donna! (she got a new washer too! )
Look inside!

What knitter can have enough stitch markers?
Such a beautiful color! They match my blog! Thank you, Mate! You have made my birthday extra special!
All this and knitting too??
Hard to believe, isn't it?

One side done on Tasha!
To answer a couple of comment questions, since I have been bad at that. Where CAN I get a couple more hours for each day, eh?
Ei asked (HI EI!) if there was not cables on Tasha and how was I able to knit them in the dark. Conversation ensued on how wonderfully talented a knitter I must be. Um....no? That's not how it went? Details, details! hee! Never fear, Ei and Norma, my long lost pea, I cannot knit cables in the dark. Yet. The sides of Tasha are nothing but knit. And purl. THAT I can do in the dark. But sometimes I get surprised by something that happened along the way. Surprises are good, are they not?
By the way, tasha is being knit in Rowan denim, colorway Memphis, for the curious of mind.
Is that it? I believe I am done for today.

Monday and my house is clean! Miracle? I think so!

There were 2 important criteria for my weekend knitting. It had to be cotton. Wool was way too hot for the excruciatingly hot weather we had. I know I have no right to complain because we have had a great summer. But since when has that stopped me before? It was way too humid for human comfort. Or cat comfort, truth be told. The wool actually stuck to my sweaty little hands. Did I say sweaty? I do mean perspire-y. A lady doesn't sweat. Hrmph.
And the second criteria for this weekend knitting had to be simple. We watched the first 2 Lord of the Rings movies and Bethany loves to turn out the lights to watch movies. Better than the movie theater with our own surround sound! And cheaper popcorn!
Now, about the movies. Bethany absolutely loves them. And I did not hate them. But neither did I love them. They seemed like a long nightmare to me. But, maybe it's just me.
However, we had to get our money back at this home theater, as the DVD player pooped out on us and we were left hanging half way through the movie. As any patron of a rental store, I was fully ready to blame the cheap, shoddy DVD. Um. No. This time it's my own DVD player. Oh, good, as if I'm not buying enough stuff to send Derek off to college, I"ll just stroll on over to the store and buy a new DVD player. It is, after all, a necessity of life, is it not?
Are you wondering if I'll ever get to the point and tell you what my weekend knitting was?
OKAY, OKAY
Don't be so impatient!
I pulled out the Rowan denim to make the Tasha bag. (Hi Leigh! )
Cotton.
Easy enough to knit in the dark.
Quick and easy pieces. Instant gratification, baby!
I'll show you pictures of it soon. There's not enough to get excited about yet. Although, excitement IS in the eyes of the beholder, they say!
Happy Monday.
As if.

time

Q: How long does it take for an 18 year old, away for 4 days including his birthday to go out with his friends?

A: 10 minutes!

Welcome home, son!

Everything but knit

My computer screen has been acting a bit wonky as of late. Every now and then it goes all wayne's world on me. Do you remember that sketch from Saturday Night Live? ( It was also a movie, but I missed that) During the "dream sequence" or when they were remembering back, the screen would go all wavy. Yes, that is what my computer screen does every now and then. Kind of a weird thing to behold! I guess that means that I will be shopping for a new monitor soon. YIPPEE!!! Not a moment too soon! The wonderful nice one we had is Derek's and is now on his college computer. We went back to our old one, which at the time we were perfectly happy with. What we realize now is that it isn't clear. I have trouble reading the fine print. Hey, it couldn't be my eyes, now could it? Denial is a wonderful place to reside. Don't burst my bubble. While my eyes are getting the forty syndrome, the monitor is pretty low quality and the two together are just bad news. In the meantime, I feel as if I'm on Wayne's World.
I did a search on google for Wayne's world to see if I could find a picture of the wavy lines, I didn't. But I did find this. I am left with the nagging thought, "What the???!!!" Do you agree?
Avoidance
The astute amongst you will notice a lack of yarn talk. True.Guilty. I did knit. But not enough to talk about here. Yet. This weekend, amongst a party for a bunch of 18 year olds, and catching up on emails, I am planning to rent movies and sit and well, you know.
Panda Rock

Rock, with a panda on it
I spotted this on vacation in New Hampshire this year. It used to be a frog rock. This frog didn't turn into a prince, it turned into a panda. Be careful which frog you kiss.
No pandas were hurt during this blog entry.
Party on, eh?

They say that life begins at 40, I am now 3 years old!

I am pleased to tell you that I did indeed have a big-ass plate of fried clams, as per your wish! :) And I ate every one of said clams, leaving a lonely pile of french fries in it's wake. Thank you Fried Clam Goddess for overseeing the availability of the mollusk for my enjoyment today!
On the way home from woodman's, we pulled into the store to fullfill my wish for a cake. What is a birthday without cake? And dangnabbit, I had my cake and ate it too! It's only right!
A HUGE thank you to so many of you that made me feel special! The wishes and the e-cards and even a couple of real live gifts made me feel like a queen for a day. Each and every one of you are special to me. Thank EWE!
Yes, I know, we were just being polite while you were waiting to hear about the loot, weren't you. Okay.

Yes, that IS a mini Care Bear. What of it? It's bedtime bear. My personal favorite. Or should I say, "FAV"? No, let's stick with favorite. Although you can't see it very well, bedtime bear is wearing a wonderful swarovski crystal necklace for him/bracelet for me, crystal palace US2 (thank you, Chelsea!).
Do you see it? The picture laying on it's side? My family is notorious for ordering a birthday gift the day before the birthday and being too cheap, er, um, frugal to pay for express shipping, the picture of the gift gets wrapped. I wonder where they get it? ~whistling~ That's okay, in my opinion, it makes the birthday last and last.
Yes, so, the picture.. is a SHEEPY WISH JAR!!! ( you have to scroll down to almost the bottom, but enjoy the view on the way down! ) Thanks to Miss Norma sharing the link, I lusted pretty darn hard over this sheepy stuff. My family takes the hints when I carry on like that! There is more, that is in the shape of yarn, but I'll share that when I get it. I'm feeling a tad spoiled at the moment. ME-ME-ME. IT's all about me today, isn't it?
Well, not exactly.
18 years ago today, Derek was born. My first. My son. What a great young man he's growing up to be. And it kills me to share with you that he is going to be at UMass for band camp. My birthday without him was weird, but his birthday without him is wrong. I miss him terribly so indulge a look at his past.
"DIM THE LIGHTS"

Can you see me now?

Look at me, Ma! One hand! the beginning of his daredevil streak!

The king of funny faces!
Happy Birthday, Derek!

Tomorrow you will return to your regular knitting blog.

new project time

I present to you, the meagher beginnings of Inishmore, from Alice Starmore's Fisherman sweaters

Doesn't look purple to me!
Trust me, it is. Not just any purple. This is the ever lovely Ranier Heather, Cascade 220.
I picture this as the sister sweater to the Inishmaan that resides in my gallery!
Annual Pilgrimage
Tonight will be dinner at Woodman's. It is my annual tradition. I read in the paper that there is currently a clam shortage in this area. They had better have one plate of yummy fried clams waiting for me. Or I'll......I'll......have a tantrum? Perhaps! More than likely, I'll order scallops. But I won't like them!
A big thank you for indulging my sappy side yesterday. Some days it just has to be freed! All of your comments were wonderful to read, and I thank you for them!
Please, for all that is good in the world, send some wishes that I can get my fried clam dinner tonight! :)

Blast from my past: OR...hug your kids

My childhood home, the new home of my mother and brother

My mother and my brother and his wife recently bought the home that I grew up in. 22 years ago, the bank foreclosed on the mortgage due some bad business planning and they moved out with their furniture and clothes on their backs. I was at college and did not know any of this until it was done and they had moved. No closure.
Going to visit them recently in that house was a bit strange. The rooms don't look anything the same, especially since the upstairs has been made into a small apartment for my Mother complete with kitchen. That kitchen sits right in my childhood bedroom, without the loud, psychedelic 70's wallpaper. It's weird, isn't it, how things change, but somehow they feel the same. They are just walls and floor, roof and paint. But I remember so much of myself there, even when I didn't know myself that well yet.
As I opened the basement door, it felt as if I stepped into a time portal. Everything was the same here. It was not a finished basement, but a true cellar. My father had made shelves on the back of the stairs to hold can goods. We had enough canned goods to survive the impending nuclear holocaust. Thank goodness we never needed them! Those shelves were still there, sans cans. As I decended the stairs into my past, I saw the paintings we had made there a teens, a little worn and disheveled, but withstanding the test of time, having survived through a couple of other families!
Was I delighted? Does a banana have cheeks?

Yes, a banana with cheeks! We were so clever!
And mushrooms. Are you a 70's child too? Do you remember the mushroom phase of life? We had them on canister sets and curtains and dishes and on basement walls!
As I turned around I spotted what I had forgotten.

Footsteps in orange and black!
Along with some graffitti added from other teens along the years. Orange and black were our school colors. Why footsteps? Who knows now. As an aside, the town we now live in has orange and black as their school colors so these footsteps did withstand the test of time.
More sappiness
I remember with startling clarity the eagerness at which I departed that house to get on with my life. College awaited and I was ready. And now I stand here on the other side of that. The mother having her child preparing to leave. Derek left this morning to attend a 4 day band camp at UMass. I haven't been able to stop crying. This letting go business is for the birds. I had better line up a tranquilizer for September 3rd when he moves in for the semester.
When I left for college my mother never showed any emotion. She stood at the kitchen window fixing the curtains as I left. I thought she was being indifferent. But now I know otherwise. I think she was hiding her tears.
Knitting?
Right. This IS a knitting blog. Well, tomorrow I'll show you the new project at hand. I'll give you a hint. It's Inishmore and it's purple.

Kersti feather and fan scarf

Doesn't it look lovely on me?
I am finished the kersti feather and fan scarf
Details:
Yarn: Koigu Kersti, color number k130
Pattern: Wendy's feather and fan scarf pattern, thank you, Wendy!
Needle size: US7
Yarn source: gift from MaryBeth! Thank you, MB!!
Ch-Ch-Changes: Instead of garter stitch, I did stockinette
Love factor: off the charts!

Here's a look at the crocheted edges. I love the way it came out.

Sure, I ran out of yarn!
To solve the yarn shortage problem, first, I did not eat the donut. No donuts were hurt during this crisis. Then I scrounged up all the cuttings that I had made from this yarn, the ends that were snipped off. I can be a tad "generous" with ends. So, I did get to add about 2 feet with those. I knotted them together like a bedsheet for an espcaping criminal. And I was still short. So, I went to my yarn stash. I ended up doubling up on some koigu. It matches, but it doesn't. See it? It's the right two shells crocheted on the edge above?
Okay, the first person to come up to me while I'm wearing this and say that the right 2 shells do not match gets themselves a raspberry!
I am happy with it.
A close up of the stitch

Lovely!
While blocking, there was only a minimum of bloodletting, an incident of pin in thumb. I was surprised to see that this scarf blocked out to be about double the size in length. I wish I had taken measurments before and after because it is considerable. I am happy as a clam (however happy that may be) because my one beef with it was that it seemed a bit short.
I can't wait for it to get cold!
Koigu Kersti feather fan scarf. It's a good thing!

short kersti

My fingers are itching to go ahead and work full steam ahead on Inishmore, now that the mental work is done on that decision. But instead of being impulsive, which I usually am, I decided that I would first finish the kersti scarf. And I did. Then I decided that it would look great with a crocheted edge. Which it does. I finished the first side last night during the olympics. Swimming. My favorite olympic event so far has been synchronized diving. Who knew there was such a thing? But I digress.
Back to the kersti scarf and it's problem. You knew there had to be one, didnt' you?
This

Is all I have left. I don't think it will be enough.
sure. Just order another skein, you say? Yes, that would make sense. Except I did not save the label. Hmm? what's that? Kinda stupid and childish? Sure. I am that way. I throw things away willy nilly and then keep other things for years and years. Makes no sense.
Should I just use another color and call it a design feature?
Should I take out the one crocheted edge and make the edges match?
Should I eat a great big donut?
Should I rant and rave?
Shoulda/woulda. Story of my life sometimes.
It will come to me. It had better!

Are you kind?

Can a world have too many random acts of kindness? I think not. Join me in joining the random acts of kindness group. See it on the right side? go ahead. I'll wait...
It should be kind of fun!

Olympic gold? I've got better...the winner of the mountain colors!

84 people entered to win the wonderful Mountain Colors Wilderness! I want to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to say hello to me. It is so fun to hear from everyone.
Wha?? You want to know who won? Well, of course you do. Go ahead, you know the drill. Please drumroll on your computer desks to heighten the suspense. Don't give me that lame excuse of being at work and not wanting to attract attention.
Joanne Zaharis! Come on down!
She is blogless in Boston, my neck of the woods. Maybe I can drag, er, encourage her to come on down to knitsmiths too! Is there no end to my encouragement? Apparently not yet. And the day that I announced the giveaway, it was her birthday. So, happy Birthday, Joanne. It will hit the mail soon.
By the way, you might like to learn that that yarn was purchased as part of my patternworks visit, July 6th and 7th entries. Or then again, you might not.
My epiphany came to me! The sweater has been determined. Drumrolling again? Nice touch! Inishmore! From fisherman's sweaters, alice starmore. I shopped yesterday in a small place I like to call, my home. Yes, I reached in my stash and pulled out some wonderful cascade 220 that I had waiting. It has been calling my name, anxious to get it's turn!
But I've got to finish the glorious gloves first.
Because sometimes, you just have to

Happy Cat!
I think he's smiling!

Hello, how are you?

Did you ever accidently combine two words or phrases together to make a new, more improved word? It just slips out and then everyone has a laugh at how clever you are to combine the two? Yes, well, the other day, walking down the hall at work, I TRY to say hello and apparently, how are you at the same time. These simple words/phrases came out as.......ahem.......
HELL YOU! Yes, that's right. Hellyou? Shock and awe at it's best, people! Coulda gotten ugly if I had said it angry!
Last day for getting in your name to win the mountain colors yarn!

Mountain Colors, wilderness
See August 10th for details. I will choose the winner around 8 pm EST. I will email the winner right away and then let you all know tomorrow. Wish I had 70 skeins to give away to all the nice people who have emailed me so far. Maybe in my next life I'll be rich.
So, anyhoo, Goodya!
(goodbye and see ya! Not quite the insult as HELLYOU, is it?

whimsy

The Kersti scarf, as promised

languishing on the paint deprived front porch
I am part of the Kersti knitalong after all! The koigu kersti is a joy to work with. But this is not a sock? ~gasp~ It's okay, I"ll get over it.
And speaking of socks, it has been asked if I am a member of the six sock knitalong. One would think with this sock frenzy summer '04, wouldn't you? I have to tell you that I DID sign up for the 6 sock knitalong. But the rules were too strict for me. I guess I have a thing about rules. I like to break them! I am a child of the 70's after all. To be part of that particular knitalong, you had to knit their specific patterns. Not that I have anything against their patterns, but I have patterns of my own burning in my imagination. Or at least of Nancy Bush's from Knitting on the Road. So, I guess I"m having a little 6 sock marathon of my own. Or at least 3 socks, so far!
OOPS

The first casualty of the 3 sock frenzy
I bought these lakewood birch knitting needles to make this sock as the size 2US are sorely lacking in my possession. One sock is all it had in it. I'm not impressed. Nothing beats my favorite Crystal Palace bamboo. Nothing. For socks, that is.
Whimsy
As spring brings on the feelings of love for the young, fall brings on the feelings of wool for the knitter. Specifically a feeling of need to start a bigger project. With yummy wool! My thoughts have been wandering while I knit rows on the red tail hawk sock. What will it be, I wonder. I have an urge for aran. St. Brigid? Cromarty? Fulmar? It will come to me. Like an epiphany!

I've got one sock, on a cloudy day~

Red tail hawk, sock number 1~
Could it be more dreary this morning? I doubt it. I have another picture of the kersti fan and feather (or is it feather and fan??) scarf. And you thought I had bailed out on the kersti knitalong, didn't you? But I cannot show it to you, it is such a bad picture. The flash on kersti does NOTHING for it. Later today I'll take another and show you tomorrow. It's only a day away.
Still taking names for the wilderness mountain colors names. See August 10th entry for the details.
Monday. Ugh.

I ain't afraid of no gusset!

A couple of people, in their contest entry for the yummy wilderness yarn (see August 10th entry for details) have expressed a desire to learn how to knit socks but admit to some intimidation. I say, we all have to start somewhere and it may as well be now. Just do it. So, I travel back in time today to a time about 2 years ago, when I knit my first sock. I say "sock" singular because it never became a pair. But it sits in a shrine like manner. My first. (cue heavenly music here)
Here she is. be kind!

a sock virgin no more!
The yarn is some kind of Lion's brand something or other, the gauge too large, making it more slipper than sock.
I learned the technique from this pamphlet, which has served me well. It taught me the basics, the foundation, the concrete upon which to grow.
I remember my first obstacle to overcome was the cast on to those double point needles. I felt clumsy and awkward. Some kind soul on the Socknitters list took pity upon me and counseled me to cast on all the stitches onto one needle and knit 2 or three rows (in the pattern of the ribbing) and then seperate them onto the 3 needles. This saved me and kept me plugging away. It was not long until I could willy nilly cast on to the 3 needles and carry on. A crutch is a good thing. Lean on it and go on from there, I say. It only takes a couple of pairs to make you feel like a pro.
Do you have a favorite book to teach sock making?
Miss Daphne still has some luscious mountain colors yarn for sale. Give her a shout out and she'll tell you the colors! She even winds them for you!
Have a great Friday and go knits some socks, will ya? Don't leave me hanging! Don't let me obsess alone!

Sock-o-rama

Whew! This getting back to the real world after vacation is for the birds! I'm having trouble going to bed on time, getting up on time, staying awake through an entire afternoon. I guess it will get easier!
I believe that the name of this blog has changed temporarily to Sandysknitting Socks! I am on a sock frenzy of epic proportions. That's why I wanted to drag you down with me and give you sock yarn!

Sock, anyone?
This is Mountain Colors, colorway Red tail hawk. (you can get some too from the Threadbear guys! ) The colors are rich and warm, the yarn luscious. It is one of my favorite sock yarns. The pattern is called Cabled Foot Wrapper and for the life of me I cannot remember where I got it. But I"m guessing I bought it here. The pattern is fun with the cables and twisted stitches.
And speaking of socks (we were, weren't we?)
I found a little store I like to call, The Daphne Yarn Source
She was selling off some of her beloved stash and well, I thought I'd take some off her hands. I'm like that. Unselfish. Always thinking of others. heh!

What a shocker!! Sock yarn!!
Some Lorna's laces. Tuscany and Vera! Lovely as per usual. And what a treat to have them all balled up ready to go! I do not have a ball winder. Was that a collective gasp of horror I just heard? I know. I call myself a knitter? The horror! I do it the old fashioned way. Put the skein around my knee and wind. No one in my family will stick around when they see me coming with an unwound skein of yarn! Even Fig the cat runs away now! Was it something I said? If I plan this right, I can have free control of the TV while doing it too! Evil, I am.
So, it looks like the sock knitting is here to stay. For now. I may as well make the best of it, while it lasts. I'll have very warm, attractive feet come this winter.
Be sure to enter to win the lovely mountain colors yarn if you havent' already! One entry per, please. (see yesterdays' post for details)

Lana Grossa, German Friend socks

Sock-O-Rama

The specifics:
Yarn: lana grossa meilenweit mini stripe, a gift from Melanie
Needle size: 2
pattern: loosely based on this pattern
I am putting these socks in again so I can insert them into the gallery without the drama of yesterday's story. Thank you all for your kind comments. My heart is warmed!

Home sweet home

Here it is, the last day of my vacation. Pooey! What will I do with it? Sweep the dusty toe prints off the corner of the stairs? Perhaps.
I have done a lot of reflecting on the past weekend. Do you remember? 28 kids, 4 adults, lake side overnight party? Interesting would be a good starting word. But I digress.
Most of the time, I feel like a good parent. Then life kicks you upside the head and reminds you, that NO, you are really winging it.
The arrival on Saturday of all the guests, brought on lots and lots of swimming. Both of my kids love swimming, but this story is about Bethany. So, imagine Derek, happy and healthy, independent of us. Good. So, 27 kids get to swim. And swim and swim. One girl cannot swim due to her missing skin from an altercation with an alpine slide a couple of days before. Besides the intense pain she still feels, Nurse Joe warned her about germy places that would invade her body freely. So, Bethany sat out. All day. With her mother. See? There is the problem right there. Sure, the kids were great to her. They would come over every now and then and say HI and DID YOU SEE THAT? As the hours ticked by, our Miss Beth started feeling left out. As an adult, we can logically say that she wasn't left out. This has nothing to do with logic, as I later learned. Feelings are not logical. Ever. Later in the afternoon, the crowd got ready for dinner. When I arrived at my car to drive over to the Pizza Barn, there was Miss Beth, sobbing in the back seat. Feeling sorry for herself that she missed all the water fun. The fun she likes best in the world. We talk for a couple of minutes, hug. And I think the world has yet again tipped upright. No. The sobbing gets worse on the way over, along with some sprinklings of "I hate myself". Oh boy, things are heading downhill FAST.
Let's pause here in the story for a little side story. What do you think I did at this point? Pep talk? Good advice? Remind her of why she should not hate herself, why she is a good person? You'd think, wouldn't you? I burst into tears. Looking back, I still have no rhyme or reason for this reaction. So, now poor poor Andy is driving along with 2 crying females and he is pretty much praying for a trailor truck to hit the car and kill us all, especially him right at that moment. His driving skills are too good for that, we arrive at the pizza barn, where 27 kids and 2 adults get out and enter the eatery. 2 adults and 1 teen stay in the car. And all I could say to Andy was "I don't know what to do!" And I didn't! Fast forward about 20 minutes, I head in to join the crowd, sporting a new look. Red and blotchy face hardly works for anyone. Gail and I spread the word that Bethany does not feel good. Which is not far from a lie. Andy and Beth take a walk through the woods and the good lord intervened. He threw this little guy in their path.

It's okay, Mr. Racoon, you can go back to sleep now!
At this point, the tears were wiped away, hugs were given, and they both entered the establishment, ready to pack away some serious pizza.
My stomach and mind remain in a knot and I'll be damned if I can understand teens. Or even myself. The evening ended on a happy note for all and we were able to come home with a couple of shreds of dignity left. But I am left wondering.....What the??!! If I live to be 110, I'll never understand myself and my reactions to the world around me. And that world is spinning so fast away from me.
So, I knit. My constancy.

Freundin socken finished! ("friend sock" in german, I hope! )

And one more vision of what Miss B. was missing.

How many kids can fit on a floating dock?
Many, many kids, but the dock doesn't want to float anymore.
I'm glad I'm home.

More socks

A big Danke * to Melanie! who sent me the greatest package from Germany! When I saw the yarn she sent, I had to cast on right away!

My Freundin socken!
The yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenwirt mini stripes,color number 805. It reminds me of autumn colors! The pink in the picture is a bit more maroon-y!
But look at the needles she sent!

Ebony needles AND a cute sheepy too!
Ebony needles. I have never held such elegance in my hands. And the sheep reminds me a bit of my new blog Mr. sheepy, doesn't it??
*disclaimer: I do not speak German. My daughter, a 4th year German student helped me put the words in here. Blame her if they are wrong!:)
On the Road again!
Yup. That's right! The car is being packed yet again and the family is headed North to New Hampshire again. My kids have been invited to a party at my friend's house where there will be 30 teenagers in attendance. (Yes, you read that right. THIRTY!) We have been asked, neigh, begged to help chaperone. I won't get a lick of sleep and I'll be grumpy as all get out. Fun? Sure. It's bound to happen!
What I was doing while my daughter was throwing herself down the mountain

I was on the scenic chair lift ride to the top of Attitash mountain, of course. Nurse Joe had it all covered. (by the way, Joe was neither hunky nor a knitter. I asked. He was simply nice. And armed with plenty of bandages)
Ta-Ta til Monday!

I've missed you!

This is where I have spent my last 4 days. My inlaws own this cute little cabin, nestled on the side of Kearsage Mountain, New Hampshire. 50-some-odd years ago, 5 young men bought the property and constructed a small cabin for young men getaways. Over the years, the young men got married and had families and sold out to the remaining 2 owners. Within the last 5 years, the last holdout sold their remaining share of the cabin to my father in law. I love the story of that cabin.
This is what you see when you look out the front

Barely seen on the left of the photo is Cathedral Ledge. The more adventurous will rock climb to the top. Me? I'd rather the old fashioned lazy way. The car. No rappelling for me, thank you!

And how 'bout that view?
We swam repeatedly at the Saco River.

More beauty!
We played lots and lots of Uno

Bethany's friend, Grampie and Derek

And on the last day, the kids wanted to ride the Alpine Slide at Attitash. Sure, why not? Done it before.

Bethany vs. Alpine Slide. Alpine Slide wins by a leg. 2 legs and 2 arms. And a shoulder too!
A small mishap with an overturned sled and one girl sliding down the tubes with only her skin between her and the hard surface. It got ugly. She got a nice visit with Joe the nurse. Ouch. Double ouch.
So, there you have it. I missed each and every one of you. Did I knit? What do you think? Sure. But I'll save that for tomorrow. A girl's gotta save some info, doesn't she?

North we go!

Early this afternoon, I am packing up a mini version of our home, making sure my knitting is stowed away, and we are heading for a fun filled 4 days to the White Mountains!
I hope to gosh that it is an iota cooler and less humid.
See ya on Wednesday! Behave while I'm gone! Fig the guard cat will be staying here (with daily supervision) to make sure my yarn stash is safe. No funny business!
See 'ya!