We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne!

I toast you!
Where ever you are, whatever you will be doing at midnight, Happy New Year!

Overwhelming Tsunami news

I was about to order the book, A Gathering of Lace today. I was also about to order some Jamieson's yarn. I even had them in my virtual cart, ready with my credit card. But something was nagging at me and it stopped me cold. I can't shake the images of the tsunami devastation from my head. The toll tonight is up to 120,000. The town that I live in has a population of approximately 28,000. To imagine that almost 5 times the amount of people in my town have been killed in this horrible tragedy is almost beyond imagination. I read of families anxiously awaiting the fate of their loved ones. I read of terrible disease that will claim more lives.
I think I could do without the book or the yarn. I will pledge this money to the cause. They need that money more than I do.
Will you join me? Perhaps the total of one ball of yarn, when all added together will help a lot more people. We can knit off our stash for a bit. And we can treat ourselves to the yarn or the book next week. Or next month.
And we can hug our families, knowing they are safe. And pray for those who are not.
Here's a great link to various charities helping the effort.
Peace.

The word of the day? AND! Could I have said it more?

My knitting has been blah lately. Sometimes you need something to sink your teeth into. Or perhaps, your needles into. So, let's do a math equation, shall we?
This book
PLUS
stash yarn (koigu solids, dark mocha and tan)
Equals

Let the mitten obsession continue! It may have taken a hiatus, but it was there all along! I am so in love with this mitten. I have learned so many new things already. A new cast on, double start method, , the yarnover braids and the nupp stitch. I am dizzy from all the new knowledge! Does that mean that I am a better person for it? Well, if indeed a better person can do weirdo stitches for some estonian mittens, then SURE, why not!
And then
You know when you've been blissfully knitting a long time and you feel a bit of a twinge in your wrist. And you say to yourself, "self, maybe it's time to step away from the knitting!" Knowing that is the logical thing to do. But "after this row" comes to mind. Then it's "let me just finish this ________ (fill in your own blank)" And you do, finish it. And then start something else. And finish THAT row. And the next. And all of a sudden it's more than a warning twinge in your wrist? It's a pain. And you are stupid?
Yeah,well, it's like that!
Stupid.
Thank goodness for advil!
And what's up with this?

The page fell out of my brand new book? Scheez. But you know, it is more convienient that way. No more pesky opening and closing of the book. But I fear this book will be a loose leaf binder soon.
Beware the twinge. Don't be stupid like someone you know!

Icicle envy

Winter is really beautiful when you look at it. These are icicles on my rose of sharon. I'll be sad to see them go.

Conwy socks, Pair number 2

Conwy Socks pair number 2
Pattern from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the road
needle size US2
Yarn: lorna's laces Tuscany
I just love this pattern. I love this yarn. Any mathmetician can then tell you that I love these socks! These are destined to be a Christmas gift for a friend of mine.
The Rockette show yesterday was wonderful. It was a planned mother/daughter day and we had a blast. So did the wind. With temps in the teens all day and a howling wind, Boston was a frigid place to be. It took us quite a while to thaw when we arrived home. It was a fun and festive day despite the cold and slush to trudge through. I can't help but like the Rockettes. I know that it's probably sexist of me. But seeing them kick in unison brings awe to me that stems from way back. They really are an amazing group of dancers. They've got legs and they know how to use them!
Today is Family Christmas, Part 2. Andy's sister and family are coming over so I must clean up a bit around here. We still have the stunned after Christmas look to the place!
Here's a close up of the conwy stitch, just for KICKS!

added later: I cast on the 72 stitches called for but did not do the decreases called for in the pattern. I just kept going with the 72 to make no shaping and a shorter sock.

Kicking up my heels in Boston

As seen out my living room window. 13 inches of white, fluffy snow! How sweet is that?
I've gotta run. Bethany and I have tickets to see the Rockettes in Boston.

I can't wait! I'll write more later tonight and I even promise to have some KNITTING involved. Remember that?

Knitting in a winter wonderland

Christmas, the aftermath. Got much stuff? Where will we put it all? Boxing day, indeed. Much stuff must be boxed up around here to make room for the new stuff! We've got it tough, eh?
My best gift, of course, was a gift certificate to the yarn shop. Could there be any better gift? And as a bonus, Andy got a couple of knitting type stocking stuffers when he was in the shop. Made a lot of knitters jealous, he did. He tells the story of every year when he steps inside the shop, the employee will immediately say to him, "gift certificate?" And he was dying to say, "um, no, I'm thinking of learning to knit, could you help me out?" Just to shock them. He didn't. This year anyway! After purchasing his gift certificate, he then told them he wanted some stocking stuffers and he said the whole store of knitters did a collective "Awwww". Can't be jealous without showing it! :)
I think I'll keep him. Especially if he shovels. And we'll need a lot of that!

I took this picture out my kitchen window. I couldn't even make myself open the door. SNOW. A day late for a white Christmas. We have about 4 inches right now and it's not the storm yet. It's ocean effect snow. Which is the same as lake effect snow, only different. If the weather forecast is right, we'll have up to 10 inches when it's all said and done tomorrow. And we were going to travel the one and a half hour trip to my Mom's for Christmas, part deux. That is now rescheduled for January 1st.
I do have an alternate plan for today and it has everything to do with my jammies. And eating leftovers. And maybe, possibly doing the sinkful of dishes.
But then again, knitting while watching my new Seinfeld DVD's on our new DVD player sounds appealing too.
Hope your day after is filled with fun. And filled trashbags. Kick them to the curb!

Got Milk?

Cookie Fest, 2004 has now ended. I am coated with a fine layer of flour that I don't think will ever wash out of my pores!
Today is Christmas Eve and I'm done all that I am going to do. Christmas will be here one way or the other. I plan to clean up a bit around here so our Christmas day guests won't think that there was some kind of horrible natural disaster blew through here and left a wreck in it's wake.
The gifts are all bought and wrapped. Paying for some of them will come later!

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for sharing this part of my life with me. I am thankful for each and every one of you. Thanks for sharing part of your life with me.
Whether or not you celebrate the Christmas holiday, I wish you light and peace. And yarn. Mostly yarn.
Is Santa here YET?

Wonderful life, indeed!

Somebody knows what they are getting!
What's this? A picture on my blog? Yes, you aren't dreaming! Santa came early around here! And he looks like Derek's computer! My hero! I will use this computer (which, by the way, is eons better than mine anyway! How does THAT work out??) Three cheers for Derek's computer!
If only I had some knitting to show you. Well, all in due time! In 3 short days the mad rush will be done and knitting will abound! In fact, I plan to give the fuzzy feet recipients a cleverly (or not) worded excuse as to why they don't have their fuzzy feet until January. And it has something to do with the 12 days of Christmas!
Works for me!

please visit this website It's a wonderful life, in 30 seconds. I laughed. I cried!
Now, sing with me, to the tune of "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth"
All I want for Christmas is my USB
My USB
My USB
All I want for Christmas is my USB
So I can have a Merry Christmas!
Thanks for your support!

sob story

Sunday, after spending $248 dollars at the grocery store, I had a bit of a meltdown. I know I'm not alone with all the Christmas stress, one just has to read around the blogs to see that I"m in good company. But this is unusual for me. For one thing, I love Christmas. I usually can't get enough. So, what makes this year different?
Perhaps it's my age. A little thing I like to call hormones? Maybe. This meltdown included me sobbing and getting utterly ridiculous, obsessing about the Christmas ham I forgot to buy and that the bottom shelf of the fridge grossed me out. While sobbing away, I did manage to clean the fridge. There is nothing like putting that kind of energy to good use. And as an added bonus, I got the attention of all the family members. Now, I'm not advocating that you go off and have a hissy fit yourself, but you may consider it's worth. This works, in my opinion, only if you are not an emotional person to begin with. Yes, sure, I"m guilty of crying at every sappy commercial and tv program that comes along, but I am not Unhinged, if you know what I mean. So being Unhinged once in a while really drives the point home.
So, among the good things to come out of the great sob of 2004, besides the subsequent headache and puffy eyes, is that people noticed that I was doing more than my share. And they weren't. That sitting in front of the tv isn't actually pitching in.
So, I have now delegated. Made shopping lists, doled out presents to be wrapped, laundry is being folded, cookies are being baked! Heck! Lights got strung, I kid you not! I wonder how long the memory of my sob will remain?
I don't know, but I'm not taking any chances. I'm taking them for all it's worth. I wonder how far I can push it? Do you think with careful placement of welled up tears that I could have some take out for dinner? Get the floor vacuumed? Or even a bed made?
The possiblilites are endless!
In the meantime, Derek is home from college and I forgot how much energy he brings to the house. And trash. In the morning, I get up to find coke cans stacked up near the computer along with the remains of the nightly snack constitutional. Of course, he wasn't here during the great sobfest.
I wonder.......

List of Sunday

Denial really is a wonderful state! I use it often as a life tool. It gets me through.
For instance, I sit here on the computer, writing up a blog entry, even though I have nothing, really, to say. Since when has that stopped me? It is now 10:30 am. I have been up for 2 1/2 hours,another lazy morning, in bed until 8am. Since I got up, I made a scrambled egg breakfast for Andy and I, done a load of wash (Yes, Carolyn, more laundry. I'm still waiting to get your laundry in the mail! ) and made scads of mental lists of the things I should be doing today, some of which include:
grocery shop
clean the bathroom. It is, well, ICK right now and I don't like ICK.
wrap more gifts
make a trip to BJ's to finish stocking stuffers
go to get Derek at college. College boy is ready to come home for semester break. This should get interesting!
find lights to go around porch
take time to untangle said lights
make time to struggle with lights when some of the bulbs don't work
use some of the swear words that usually don't enter my brain when more of the lights go out
string the lights
re string the lights when I realize that they don't reach the outlet. Every year I do this. You'd think I'd remember the stringing scheme. No. I don't. Ever.
See if darling love of my life will string lights. It's his JOB anyway, but he plays a game of Christmas chicken to see if I'll back down. He figures if he waits long enough to put the outside lights up that I will say "don't bother". You'd think after 20 years of being married to me that he'd realize that Christmas chicken, if allowed to go on long enough will result in me, perched precariously on a lawn chair on the porch, trying to figure out the light scheme. I"m stubborn like that. It has gotten me this far in life.
And a vacuuming job around here wouldn't kill anyone either.
I will go on merrily on my Sunday way. No more malls is my mantra, though.

busy days

Another view of our tree, just so you can see that it's not really that funky at all. We are not funky people! We just have normal trees. And normal messy shelves in the background! Meh, so sue me! :)
I have spent every morsel of waking energy at the malls. I despise malls. I guess I neglected to put that on my 101 things list. I start to wander around, no purpose, not able to make a decision to save my soul. So you can imagine that it has been very interesting. To combat this mall fever, I try to only shop at the fringe stores, the ones with seperate entrances so my mind is deluded into the fact that I am not indeed in a mall. It works for a while. I am definitely on a timer when it comes to shopping. I have to go in well rested with a plan of attack. I must head right to the prearranged item, get it and get out. Breathing the fresh air helps. So does drinking a diet coke. I stopped at the food court and bought an order of orange chicken from some mystery chinese-like food place. By the time I got it out to the car I had managed to spill half the sticky, gooey sauce all over myself so I threw it all out. Anything that sticky can't be good for you. Except for....well, there must be SOMETHING that is sticky and good for you. Maybe not.
I arrived back at home with huge bagfuls and a list with most of the names crossed off. I long for a Norma Christmas. Simple, carefree. I really want Christmas to be the one gift wonder. One delightfully thought out personal gift would make for a perfect day, would it not?
Maybe next year. Worked for the Red Sox!
In the "YEAH, well, what else is being knit besides fuzzy feet" category, I show you this.

This is the wonderful Brooks Farm yarn. They have a new website. Go visit and order some if you can or tell Santa to bring it. It is well worth every penny! The colors are fabulous as is the feel of the yarn. This scarf is made out of their Duet Yarn in a mystery color. I can't remember the color name. The pattern is a reversible scarf pattern found here. I wanted to knit the pattern solely on her story of where she got the pattern and I'm happy to say that I LOVE IT! Try it if you are ever looking for a pattern that is easy to learn and looks great!
Saturday is fast on it's way. I plan to sleep in tomorrow. That's right! I"m going to lie around in bed until 8 am!
Lazy bones!

I feel like a heel!

Fuzzy Feet is the gift this year that I am churning out like a machine. Or should I say WAS turning out like a machine.
Like any story, we must start at the beginning.
I knit up the first fuzzy foot in record time, giving me hope that the goal of 4 pairs of fuzzy feet was not unreachable. I was excited. I was Knitting Queen of the World. After the first foot, I thought to myself, "I don't even need the pattern anymore. I am the sock queen after all. I don't need no stinking pattern." Smugly, foot sure and fancy free. I tossed the pattern aside (pattern is from Knitty. Go ahead and google it, you'll find it!) and blithely knit away this pair in Lamb's Pride.
One pair finished! I quickly felted them. Immediate gratification is a wonderful thing!

First pair, needing a little trim and a haircut!
I even tried them on. Hmm. The back of the slipper feels a bit short. Like it's not long enough in the heel. I tug on them, I pull on them within an inch of their life and I talk myself into the fact that they are fine. I place them in a public place so the family can see how wonderful I am and I can feel all puffed up with pride that in 2 short weeks, I will knit 4 pairs.
I go shopping at a little store I like to call My Stash and pick out some lovely yarn for pair number 2. This one in peace fleece! It's looking good. Again, I think to myself "I don't need no stinking pattern! Look how GOOD I am!"
(You see at this moment how I'm foreshadowing, don't you?)

Doesn't it look wonderful? Yes, something doesn't look RIGHT, but I ignore that little voice! There is only a week until Christmas, damn it!
At about this time I start to run out of pink peace fleece. I am through the heel on the second pair. I decide that I will order 1 more skein, breaking my gift from stash rule. Ah, rules were made to be broken, no?
While waiting, I cast on for pair number 3.

Cascade 220 for these. Right before I got to the heel, I realized what had been niggling in my brain all this time. Sure, I had knit the heel flap. But I had forgotten all about TURNING THE HEEL! The Short rows! I got that sick in my stomach feeling as I walked over to the other fuzzy feet. All of a sudden I wasn't as far along as I thought I was. My Sock Queen crown was ripped violently off my head. It got ugly!
How could I have done something so stupid? Look at all the time I wasted! No time to cry in my slippers, I have to get knitting.
So, at this time, I have one pair almost done. 3 more to go. I will not take the time to rip any of them out. I will just knit them again. And the felted pair? Any suggestions? I figure I'll cut them up and sew them into a purse or something. Or maybe I should hang them on the wall as a tribute to the Sock Queen of the Past. May she rest in peace!

Look at this!

Yes, that's right! That is a funkadelic picture of my very own Christmas Tree! One could assume that my USB problem is solved but one would be wrong. Since there is scarce time for lugging the computer to the repair shop, I went the long way around and brought my photo stick to the nearest Picture Place and had a CD made up. Cheating, Sure! But desperate times call for desperate measures, wouldn't you agree?
And what's Christmas without a wreath?

How happy am I right now? Well, sort of happy. You see, not one gift is under that tree. Not one cookie made. Not one menu planned.
All in due time.
Stay tuned tonight for an entry entitled:
I feel like a heel!

I asked Bethany to title this entry and save it before she changed anything and she entitled it POO! So, I keep that title. POO!

Things I've done in the last 24 hours:
~Plenty of laundry
~More laundry when I realized that "something" had gotten into one load and made spots all over it. I suspect a rogue chap stick.
~getting a call from Derek to please pick him up so he can come home
~realizing that something is going horribly wrong in my car and I can't drive it that far without causing dire consequences
~Making an appointment for said car problem. Tuesday I will be carless. And moneyless, but that's another story
~Talk to my mother, coordinating a tow job for Derek's car to take the trip to my brother's place, 63 miles away, where it will get the family fixings. Let's hope for a cure at an affordable price for Derek's car
~I made a fish chowder and ate a good deal of it
~Put up our Christmas tree
~ate some snickerdoodles that Bethany made
~In the mail was the book Folk Knitting in Estonia. Blatantly ignoring the knitting that has deadlines, I cast on for a lovely mitten and proceeded to happily be challenged. 3 rows into it, as I sat lovingly gazing at it, I realized that all along the last needle, I had picked up and knit with the TAIL yarn. UGH. It's just easier at this point to rip it out and begin again. I regained my senses and picked up the 3rd pair out of 4 fuzzy feet that are gifts.
~got my hopes WAY up when Derek announced that it was "probably something I did" that screwed up the USB hubs on our computer. He took the next 2 hours reformatting our computer, with me sitting in the wings practically giddy with the sense that my knight in shining armor had come to rescue me
~about 3 hours later, my hopes came crashing to a halt as we realized that something was terribly wrong with the USB hubs. It will have to be brought to the computer repair shop. Again. Knowing that it wasn't ME that "screwed things up" brought a small glimmer of internal happiness, however fleeting.
~More laundry
~grocery shopping and enough errand running to make any housewife proud
~found out the ending to the College Skateboard jousting story and was pleased enough to find out that Derek did not sit on the chair duct taped to 2 skateboards. I guess he does have a bit of sense still intact.
Just for some chuckles, mine, not necessarily yours, here's a picture of Derek (on the left) and his friend "Spanish" having some college fun, dressed as hobos and actually collecting money from people on campus. Hmm...an entrepreneur after all! A good business head on that kid!

P.S. If everyone could just email me pictures of MY knitting, then I wouldn't have any trouble posting them.
:)

the big finish to the 101 things list!

70. I got engaged to Andy exactly 3 months after meeting him
71. That was 22 years ago and I have never regretted saying YES
72. Our song is Can't help falling in love with you, by Elvis
73. Although, Andy probably doesn't realize it.
74. Over the 22 years, each time we are at a dress up with dancing event, we always dance this song during which Andy hums the song softly, which happens to be right in my ear. I get tingles thinking of the sound of him humming.
75. tingles after 22 years is a good thing
76. I have to wear sunglasses while driving on sunny days or I get an extreme headache
77. It's true, I don't do well in the back of a mini van. I get motion Queasiness
78. My favorite classical piece is Pachelbel, Canon in D. It makes me very happy each time I hear it.
79. I hate mustard
80. As a girl, I read and owned all of the Nancy Drew books
81. And I started a library in my walk in closet, numbering all the books and starting a card file
82. no lending ever took place, though
83. I had a hysterectomy at age 39
84. That was 4 years ago and I don't miss that part of my body at all!
85. After the operation, I could not concentrate to read or write for over a year
86. I'm thankful that my fog has cleared
87. I don't like turtles
88. Derek had one and of course, I was the one to take care of it
89. I hated the way it's neck poked out of it's shell.
90. Ick.
91. I had never previously wished death upon anything living
92. I did not kill it
93. I think I could do anything if I put my mind to it
94. I wonder why, then, I don't dust this computer desk?
95. I love lilacs and wonder why they can't make some that bloom all summer long
96. I am not a phone person. Sometimes I don't even answer it. I hear my Mom's voice when I say, "It won't be for me anyway!"
97. I believe in Santa
98. I would like to dye my hair red. Ish. Not flaming red, but some reddish highlights would be fun
99. I'm afraid to go to my high school reunions because I'm afraid that people won't remember me. Or worse, they'd remember that I was a shithead
100. I love the word: Friggin'
101. Oh, yeah, and I knit.
~~~~
I did it. I got to 101. Like some kind of dalmatian celebration. I think that everyone in therapy should have to do a 100 things list. And can you imagine what we'd reveal if we did another 100?
Could be interesting!

Conversation with a college student

I had the pleasure of having a short conversation with college son last night, who I have not seen in 2 weeks because of his car situation.
Me: How have you been?
Derek: good. Last night about 10 of us from the dorm wanted to go bowling. But there were leagues there and couldn't. So, we came back here and got out our skateboards and rolled in the halls.
Me: Oh, well, that sounds fun
Derek: Then we got this great idea to have skateboard jousting. Tim and I took brooms and jousted. I got hurt. My shoulder.
Me: ~no room for me to talk. He is blabbing on and I don't want to interrupt him with my thought of ARE YOU STUPID because that would probably put an end to the communication of which I sorely miss. My mouth is hanging open, flies could just make a home there. My mind is thinking, What has college done to my son? It's ruined him! ~
Derek: And then Justin got this great idea! So, we got 2 skateboards and a chair and duct taped the chair to the skateboards and........
Oh! Jay's calling me, we gotta go to dinner.
This is a funny story, I'll talk to you later about it okay? Bye.
Me: um, bye
My thoughts as I'm hanging up the phone: I wonder if he has a cast anywhere? Yeah, so anyway, I can't wait to hear the end of that funny story. I'm sure I'll laugh and laugh.
What's that? Another gray hair?
Kids..

100 things about me, a work in progress

Honestly, without the ability for pictures, I feel like a fraud blog. Words are all you get around here.
I present to you, my start to a 100 things about me list. And although you won't believe it, I started this list on October 12th, before the 100 things craze hit. Now I look like a follower, and that's alright by me.
The list stands incomplete for now. I'll keep working on it.
Add some in if you wish.....:)

1. I do not drink coffee
2. but I love the smell
3. I have tried it and it makes my tongue feel fuzzy
4. I am a diet coke addict
5. I try not to drink too much, but I have to have some
6. Family is the most important thing to me
7. Although I am not close to my family
8. When I was little, I always knew that I would move away
9. And I did
10. Not too far, but far enough
11. I am a weather nut
12. Weatherbug is my favorite computer program
13. I never was a cat person, until I got one
14. Or I should say, until the cat got me
15. I love to eat cold pizza in the morning
16. I buy extra pizza just to have some breakfast
17. When I was little, I thought I would marry David Cassidy
18. I owned every Partridge Family album there was
19. My friend Debbie and I used to lip sync all their songs
20. I had a monkey as a pet when I was 5 years old
21. His name was Peppy
22. He died and we got another
23. His name was Peppy 2
24. He did not live much longer
25. I sing all the time
26. But no one but my kids hear me sing
27. I am not a good singer
28. I used to make up songs for the kids every day
29. It's fair to say that I won't be making a fortune on songwriting
30. I love the ocean
31. The sounds and smells make me happy
32. Seagulls are my favorite bird
33. Even though I know they are the equivalent of flying rats, I love their grace
34. But I hate sand in my clothes and shoes
35. I can't get over my love for the muppets
36. Muppets Family Christmas is one of my favorite movies
37. It wouldn't be Christmas without It's a Wonderful Life
38. I could eat pasta for dinner every night, I love it that much
39. I wish I were more organized
40. I love my home clean but don't often do it or at least often enough
41. Winter is my favorite season
42. It may come as a shock to you, but I wear mittens and not gloves. My fingers get cold in gloves and stay toasty warm in mittens. Hence, my mitten love
43. I am very compassionate and if I tune into someone, I KNOW things
44. This has never worked out too well for me. Sometimes people shouldn't KNOW things about others
45. So, I've learned to turn it off
46. The older I get, the easier it seems for me to get annoyed
47. I hate that. It annoys me
48. I crack almost all of my joints. I can't help it. Just further proof that I am cracking up
49. I love to read
50. I miss reading every night to the kids
51. Sometimes I read one of their children's books just to get nostalgic
52. I can't wait to have grandchildren to read to
53. My favorite author is John Steinbeck but my latest favorite book is Owen Meany
54. I have always loved to cook
55. I am a physical therapist
56. But I don't work in the field anymore. I got very burned out and depressed over it. Now I just have a job and I'm happier than I had been in a long time.
57. I wish I had been an English major. I think I am one in my make believe life
58. I was a hockey cheerleader in high school
59. I hope you won't hold that against me
60. I am not perky
61. I was also a shithead in high school
62. Yes, that's right. I don't swear very much, so I hope you enjoyed that one
63. I'd like to go back in time and fix some things that I did
64. But, alas, I am not a time traveler
65. I like to stay home more than anything. I think I'm becoming a hermit
67. I loved Herman's Hermits. I could sing you "Mrs. Brown you've got a lovely daughter"
68. I have watched Days of our Lives since I was 15 years old
69. Although I don't watch it every day anymore, I keep up with the story lines and watch it when I can
........to be continued
and furthermore:
70. I got engaged to Andy exactly 3 months after meeting him
71. That was 22 years ago and I have never regretted saying YES
72. Our song is Can't help falling in love with you, by Elvis
73. Although, Andy probably doesn't realize it.
74. Over the 22 years, each time we are at a dress up with dancing event, we always dance this song during which Andy hums the song softly, which happens to be right in my ear. I get tingles thinking of the sound of him humming.
75. tingles after 22 years is a good thing
76. I have to wear sunglasses while driving on sunny days or I get an extreme headache
77. It's true, I don't do well in the back of a mini van. I get motion Queasiness
78. My favorite classical piece is Pachelbel, Canon in D. It makes me very happy each time I hear it.
79. I hate mustard
80. As a girl, I read and owned all of the Nancy Drew books
81. And I started a library in my walk in closet, numbering all the books and starting a card file
82. no lending ever took place, though
83. I had a hysterectomy at age 39
84. That was 4 years ago and I don't miss that part of my body at all!
85. After the operation, I could not concentrate to read or write for over a year
86. I'm thankful that my fog has cleared
87. I don't like turtles
88. Derek had one and of course, I was the one to take care of it
89. I hated the way it's neck poked out of it's shell.
90. Ick.
91. I had never previously wished death upon anything living
92. I did not kill it
93. I think I could do anything if I put my mind to it
94. I wonder why, then, I don't dust this computer desk?
95. I love lilacs and wonder why they can't make some that bloom all summer long
96. I am not a phone person. Sometimes I don't even answer it. I hear my Mom's voice when I say, "It won't be for me anyway!"
97. I believe in Santa
98. I would like to dye my hair red. Ish. Not flaming red, but some reddish highlights would be fun
99. I'm afraid to go to my high school reunions because I'm afraid that people won't remember me. Or worse, they'd remember that I was a shithead
100. I love the word: Friggin'
101. Oh, yeah, and I knit.
~~~~
I did it. I got to 101. Like some kind of dalmation celebration. I think that everyone in therapy should have to do a 100 things list. And can you imagine what we'd reveal if we did another 100?
Could be interesting!

Picture this

A friend was kind enough to send this picture to me and I share with you. A picture. It's been awhile!

Don't you love it when you get to see pictures of the baby wearing the sweater you made? I keep gazing at it and the joy overwhelms. The hat still makes me deliriously happy. Pompoms do that.
My knit du jour is on the fuzzy feet gifts. I long to start a pair of mittens with this yarn. Green Mountain Spinnery ,Green mountain green yarn. Heaven in a skein. It calls to me, "make mittens, not feet stuff". I want to. I NEED to.
It's a sickness.

Multitask much?

Okay, tonight I was making pizza dough while talking on the phone to my mother, while watching the news, occasionally having a few words with Andy when I reached up onto the crowded fridge to get the flour and WHACK! It happened. The tupperware container for the brown sugar (empty, thank goodness because of excess brown sugar use for the holiday known as Thanksgiving) fell off the fridge and hit me. Square in the face. I would have been able to catch it had I not been holding the phone, glancing at Andy and trying to have 2 conversations at once.
THUNK. The lip, the cheek. The TOOTH.
Me making some kind of noise that sounds like ACHTTTT
Andy and my mother in some kind of weird telephonic symphony saying "What's wrong?" And me, bent over looking on the floor to see if said tooth was anywhere that I could see it. Stars chirping around my head. Andy, curious, yet still rinsing out his coffee pot. After all, he'll have to use it again in 15 short hours.
My tooth did not fall out, even though I wondered. My gum is sore. My lip is swollen. My cheek is sore with the sinus going along for the ride. And Bethany forced me to apply an ice pack, throwing my own words in my face, "If you don't do anything to help yourself then stop your complaining!" Ouch. That hurt the most. I always felt so self righteous spouting those words at my kids. I realize how feeble they are now. Just a cop out. Just really saying "Ahhhh, shuddap! I don't want to hear your bellyaching anymore!"
I guess I'll be forced to come up with another motherhood line.
And please don't mention the word USB to me. Or someone is going to get hurt. Again.

Saturday essay

First off, and most importantly, a Great big

to Mary! Without her my blog would be a useless lump of something. She got my comments to work, so go ahead, comment. You know you want to.
The Great Big Fuzzy Feet Frenzy!
Has now begun. I needed to have 4 gifts for people who have been intrigued by socks. There is no way that I can knit them all socks by Christmas so fuzzy feet fit the bill.
Wouldn't it be great to slip in a picture at this point? To see the one that I got done in one evening? Made out of lamb's pride in khaki (which is actually light green, go figure) and bulldog blue.? You can see it if you picture it in your mind. Concentrate. You can do it. Because that's the only pictures you will see here until the stinking USB hubs are fixed.
Stinkers.
One foot in one evening. There are good odds that I could finish by Christmas, and then some. I have high hopes. For fuzzy feet, not USB's.
Today? I must vacuum. Or just start to believe that my rug is variegated. I can be delusional like that when I need to be.

All words and no pictures makes bloggy a dull girl!

With a furious nod to Stephanie, I shamelessly copy her listing style.
Things that make me crazy!
that's the title of this list, just so you know!
1. Computers. In general. But they can make me just as much happy as crazy, so more spefically, at this moment in time, let's just say USB hub ports. Mine do not work. Kaput. Nada. Nothing. 4 USB ports and none to work. This means that the wonderful, expensive digital camera sits lonely on a shelf. This means no pictures on the blog until I can figure it out.
Bah, humbug on no pictures! I like pictures!
2. No pictures makes me crazy. This means I have to be more interesting. Can I rise to the challenge? This remains to be seen.
3. Money. Drives me crazy. Specifically, the lack of it at times. Most times in my little sheltered life, I don't even think about money. Then other times I can't NOT think about it. Coincidentally, it happens mostly at this time of year. I married for love, not for money and at times it is painfully apparent.
4. Which leads me to this number 4 that money shortages at christmas drive me crazy. This makes Christmas feel Scroogey. And that is the antithesis of Christmas.
5. And why does everything have to break down right at the most wonderful time of the year, anyway? The computer, for instance. You and I both know it has to go in the shop again. And get very expensive work done on it again. And just so you know, Derek's car has major damage in the form of a cracked head gasket, whatever that is. I do know that it will take over $2000 to fix. Which means that Derek does not have a car anymore.
6. Being a meany for making Derek not have a car anymore. But, HEY! $2000!!!! I mean, really!
7. The clutter that has taken over my house. Doesn't it know that I need to bring out the JOY AND CHEER? There is no room for the dust, dirt and clutter. It is not welcomed here. And yet, it stays, like the uninvited guest that it is.
8. TMJ
9. Having bloglines tell me that I have 135 new feeds. I have so much to catch up on. I haven't visited any of you yet. I miss you.
10. Man! this has turned into one big giant bitchfest, hasn't it? I hate that! ;) Wanna join me?
There you have it! List-mania! Or should I say, manic list? Yes, that's more like it.
Don't worry, I'll calm down and the optimism will rise to the surface. For now, let me wallow. I don't do it often!
:)

wire wrestling, software shenanigans

I've laughed (the kind that is on the verge of hysterics), I shed a few tears, I've raged, I've spent more hours than a person should admit, but my computer is FIXED BABY! It spent a lonely thanking day weekend in the shop waiting it's turn to get scrutinized and the verdict was not motherboard, as we all suspected, but windows related. The question was posed to me, "Pay $150 to us and we'll do it lickety split or go ahead and tackle it yourself. Yeah, sure! It's easy! No prob!" What they neglected to say, was, "NO PROB FOR A COMPUTER GEEK!"
(and I say "geek" with all the utmost respect and envy, for If I was one, it would not have taken me hours and hours.)
After one big long tiring patience breaking nearly divorce provoking search for the missing freaking cd key numbers for our precious windows cd and much fumbling to find software for our ethernet connection and to fix a mysterious entity called the bios, I think I"ve got it all taken care of. You probably heard the celebratory whoop from your house, no matter where on this great earth you live.
I feel like the forced computer breaks come just at a time when I start hitting my stride ,blogwise. When it's comfortable, enjoyable, sitting in a good blog place. Then I have time exiled and come back out of touch and bleary eyed.
So??! What's going on out there? Does anyone have anything they need to tell me? Did I miss any blog stuff that I should be aware of? I need updates and I need them fast! :) Poor bloglines told me that I have about a bazillion new updates today. I'm sure my little icon will tell me next "READ THEM, LADY!"
And I will.
Who has time to work?
Wanna see my Brooks Farm Yarn Scarf?
Yeah, well, I haven't gotten my computer to recognize my camera yet. I sat here and introduced them and everything.
"Computer, I'd like you to meet camera. Sony, to be exact."
I guess it said, "Never heard of you!"
I've heard that somewhere before!
No matter.
I have a bit more wire wrestling to do, it appears.
It is December 1st! Holy Crap! How did that happen?!
~I hug you..