So anyway,

It is COLD outside lately! Shivering kind of cold. The kind where the car, er, pimpMoblie must be started at least 20 minutes in advance to get anywhere, making the neighbors happy about the continuous roaring sound. Tomorrow is the day it will (hopefully) be fixed. It certainly is a lesson in the shades of sound for all of us!
And dry? If you pass a pile of dust on the side of the road, it was me. Every last drop of moisture has been wicked out of my every pore leaving behind a flakier me. It's not pretty.

Hmm, this entry has now entered random territory. Sheep picture found on my camera from this summer's trip to the Red Apple Farm.
Random? Okay, may as well run with it~!
movie seen recently: Elizabethtown. You must see it. And in the spirit of the olympics, we watched Miracle. I remember living it. Jim Craig. Who didn't love him in 1980?
And finally, on this Tuesday that I could declare to be grumpy but I am NOT, I had a dream about Giada DeLaurentis last night. AND her mother. Who,in my dream was a very nice elderly Italian woman who looked a lot like my very nice elderly French grandmother used to look. (I do not in real life know what her mother looks like). It was a wonderful dream, complete with active tastebuds. Although the whole meal is fading in my memory now, one certain drink sticks with me. It was served in a wide, low glass. It was milk with a caramelly kind of sugary syrup on the bottom of the glass. Which was beautiful to look at. When I drank it, the layers suddenly started to mix together, in a bit of a volcanic fashion and the vanilla milky flavor was intense. I can almost taste it now.
Hmm. I was eating a meal in my sleep. Do those calories count?

Why having a muffler on your car is a good thing

Today I was supposed to attend the closing ceremonies of Team Boston of the Olympic Knitters. I was attending only as a flag holder though because I did not olympically knit. But Cara was in town and how could I miss it, really? All night long I wrestled with the fact that I did not want to go. I did not have a rational explanation for this so I assigned one, in typical Sandy fashion. I reasoned with myself that it was because I was tired and I had a ton of laundry to do and no clean clothes to wear and the meatballs that I promised to bring were not done in fact the ingredients still resided in the grocery store. I reasoned away, convincing myself this was why I could not go. The universe is a funny thing though. I am often in touch with the WHAT I should do but not the WHY.
The reason became clear this afternoon as Andy came inside and announced that the muffler had fallen off the car. Oh, goody. He also told me I could drive it locally, if I could stand it.
I bravely climbed into old faithful and made my way to Whole Foods, where I needed to look for some happy camper product. Because I need it and it can't hurt. Norma told me about it. And Norma would not kill me, would she? I did not find it there, by the way, making me NOT one. I'll look at the vitamin store tomorrow. But the irony of me LOUDLY driving into the Whole Foods parking lot did not escape me. Me ruining the sound environment within buying distance of an organic market. Get it?
Bethany now calls our muffler-less car the PimpMobile. I don't pretend to understand, I just laugh along.
Driving to and from Boston without sound control would have been a bad idea. For all involved. There is only so many looks of apology I can fling around. And the sound is tooth-rattling.
So, Carole and Dale, I will make Swedish Meatballs for dinner tonight. I dedicate them to you.
Pass the lingonberries!

My final BP package or Ode to Terri

It's time (time past actually) to talk about my super, secret no more BP! The fabulous Terri was assigned the task of surprising me. And surprise she did! Time after time. I was thrilled to find out it was her as I had followed her blog for years, admiring her wonderful pictures of the beauty of the place she lives, Prince Albert National Park in Canada! That and she's a sock queen. Now I can add extremely generous person to that list.
I stuffed all the yarn she sent in this final package into the bag she gifted and brought it outside for a bit of a photo shoot. The temperature at that moment was 16F. (8C) Fair to say, it was C-C-Cold! But my BP deserves it. I put the bag next to the shivering rhododenrum bush. Which really did not serve a purpose as it looks funny now. Well, who knew?
In that bag?

4 skeins of Austermann Naturwolle in beautiful natural colors. Cough:mittens:cough!
4 skeins of Peruvian Highland Chunky in Harvest Heather and Rewood colorways. There are only 3 skeins in the picture because one is in the process of being created into a hat for hubby. At this moment in time it needs reworking but when I get it all figured out, you'll be the first to see. Lovely, lovely yarn to work with, I'm telling you!
3 skeins of Sheepjes Alpine! Won't they make wonderful mittens? Or how about some big, funky socks? Oooh! My toes are tingling!

But wait! That's not all!

4 of the most heavenly scented candles my nose has ever had the pleasure of sniffing, coffee scented! I wish this were a smell-o-blog. You'd like it too! Pens from HER national park, luxurious Brittany needles and a booklet about Prince Albert National Park, in which many of Terri's wonderful pictures (including her husband ) are included. I can't tell you how many times I have poured over that booklet. Pretty soon it will be dogeared and tired looking! I know now that one of our future vacations must be to the Boreal Forest!
So, a big thanks to Terri, who has singlehandedly enhanced my stash infinitely. She's opened my horizons and shared a thing that doesn't come easily in this world. Friendship.
Now, about the BP program. It's true that this one is set up to be small and by invitation. Running a secret pal program ( or secret sock program, or secret whatever program) is an overwhelming task when hundreds of people are involved. Monumental. Small, I'm convinced is the way to go. If you feel at all like this is interesting to you, I encourage you to start one yourself. Get a group together and make an exchange. You will be pleasantly surprised at the joy it brings!
~~~
Many thanks go out to you for sending cheering thoughts in my glumness. I gave in to it and went to bed last night by 9:30. This morning things seem to be looking up, but I've got to tell you, it's worth it to FAKE it. I got up with the attitude that I would kick this feeling's ASS. I ate a nice breakfast, read some blogs, reveled in some yarn and plan a whole list of activities for the day to soothe my soul. Included is walking outslde (not just standing on the porch in my pajamas taking pictures while the postman watches from across the street), cooking the wonderful chicken purchased from Whole Foods perhaps even taking a nap. We'll see. Cooking for me is a soothing activity. Cooking for my family, the act of feeding is one that brings me ease.
And some thoughts about what brought this on? Besides it being February, which seems to be everyone's least favorite month? Bethany got her first acceptance into college. The University Of New England has offered her a bit of a scholarship to attend. (although the extreme cost still makes it prohibitive, but it's only MONEY~!) You see the joy in that! I do too. But underneath the joy is saddness for me. My daughter, my baby, the last one home will be leaving. Soon. My joy, pride and excitement is covering that little stitch in my heart.
Bah humbug.
Another milestone? Hockey season is now done!

Today will be a better day. If it kills me!

Glumly I sit

*** Comments are now fixed, thanks for technical support!**
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have had a miserable week. And yet, I feel miserable saying that. Because honestly, my life is good. Nothing horrible happened to me. No one died. No metal rolling objects were involved in a crash. But yet....I am miserable. A poor excuse for a human being. I am glum. More than blah. GLUM. Downright icky. Every day has gotten a bit worse and I couldn't even post here because it sounded all like
BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHCOMPLAINBLAHBLAH. And it is, truthfully. But here I am anyway.
This is the longest I've ever felt like this and I keep trying to pick my brain to see what it is. But frankly, I can't concentrate that hard for that long. I don't want to think. Or do. I'd go to bed in a minute. I know.
Depression.
Yippe. But what if it's more than that? You know....THE CHANGE? Hormones?? Cripes! That makes me even grumpier.
Tonight I decided that making some chicken curry will cheer me up. You know, slicing vegetables with a huge chef's knife can't be bad for me! And eating some yummy chicken curry will be a good thing. With a glass of wine. Just for medicinal purposes, of course. Of course, this meant a trip to Whole Foods, which is my new favorite grocery market in the world. Or at least in MY world. That trip cheered me up a bit. I did buy a scoop of tiramisu and I'm not ashamed to admit that I sat in the parking lot and enjoyed every last morsel of it!
And on the way home, I saw a cloud. It was a small cloud that was colored orange in a sky of dark clouds. I believe it was trying to give me a message, although I couldn't tell you what. But that little orange cloud helped.

Cute helps too. Fig's got lots of that!

Smile when you say that!

Now that I've named it, I can't get it out of my mind. Tuesday is Grumpalong day. All day long, I kept thinking, " Yup, I feel like ripping your head off:grumpalong day indeed!"
With that thought in mind, I give you a smiley picture. Made by Mother Nature during our last snow storm on the upside down Christmas Tree Stand that still sits on the porch. I know. Kind of like the Christmas tree stands last stand, isn't it?
My grump of the day: my elbows hurt. And that makes me grumpy.
What's your grump?

The story of the 3 knits!

First up, we have the malabrigo hat!

Pattern: Coronet from Knitty. A wonderfully written, easy to follow pattern and fun to knit. A success story. I'm not sure how well this yarn shows off the cable but I like it anyway.
Yarn: malabrigo in colorway little lovely a more than lovely, generous gift from my BP, Terri (I'm still cooking up a photo shoot for that entry!)
Needle size: US9
I'm serious now, if you have not knit with Malabrigo, take the oath and promise yourself you will indulge. Go ahead. Raise your right hand, you know what to do!
The second little knit is the Nordic Mitten from the Winter '04 issue of Interweave Knits.

The yarn is the Brown Sheep Nature Spun, the knitting is quite fun. Weaving in the thousands of ends will be another story, but I will deal with that when I get to it.
The 3rd little knit. What to say? With 2 wildly successful knits in a row, the foreshadowing alone is enough to make the average knitter squirm, is it not?

Behold the beauty of the Jaywalker sock, in Tiffany yarn! It is a work of art. And it might just go in a frame on the wall. It does not fit. Did you hear me? IT IS TOO SMALL! I blame only myself. I had the extreme pleasure of conversing at length with the jaywalker creator herself and she warned me. (the words still echo in my brain) "Try it on, make sure it fits!"
And I did try the sock of that moment on. And it was too small, so I changed it. And then did not try it on again. I just knit stubbornly. Ignoring the sage advice. And you know, It DOES NOT FIT! Will not go over the heel. I am feeling quite heel-like.
Join me in a rousing DANGIT!
It really IS pretty, though!
Take my word for it, knitting ladies and gents: TRY IT ON!
I do believe that will be the end of my jaywalking jaunt. It is without a doubt, yarn and pattern combined, the prettiest sock that came from my needles.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a holiday Monday to enjoy!

Why am I humming? I don't know the words, of course!

Malabrigo. Get some. I'm serious. If you have not tried this yarn yet, you must. This is just one of the many, many wonderful things that arrived from my BP! Wait til you see! You can see a better view of this colorway here. It is called Little Lovely! Lovely, indeed. You can also see this yarn on this wonderful hat! (winter femme) And that hat is on the head of my very own personal BP! Revealed! I couldn't be more thrilled.
I will write more on this. It deserves much more to be said. But I want to be able to give you the visuals that this kind of post deserves.
So, in summary: Malabrigo:Wonderous! Terri my BP: Even more wonderous.
Keeping up?
Okay, on to the humming. As with every story, there needs to be some background story. So...
Stop the hum: I want to get off!
Our story starts here: at a hockey game!

Some hockey moms are yellers. They scream and yell and cheer their way through the 3 periods. Not me. I sit and watch. Oh, I make comments galore, I clap, I have even been known to chant things under my breath, but that is a story for another day. Me? I'm not a screamer. Never have been. I'm not one for raising my voice.
I did scream though. One that probably could be heard throughout the land, if you listened really closely. You see, right before this picture was taken, Bethany, had a bit of a breakaway with the puck. She skated down the ice towards the goal, keeping control of the puck all the while. That is a really important point in the story so I stress it again. She is a beginner. Never once had played hockey in her life. To see the improvement in her ability has been a proud moment for us! Okay: back to the ice: She is skating with the puck staying close to her feet, control is good. The Peabody defenseman(Woman) kept batting away at Bethany, trying to shake her resolve. Fruitless. Bethany skated a bit past the goal, looked to her left, made a perfect pass to her teammate (also a beginner) who effortlesslly slipped it in the goal. Classicly beautiful, I tell you. I should probably mention that this was the last home game for the BHS girls team so the stands were mobbed with fans. High School friends came out in droves to see the game. In front of many of her friends, Bethany got the assist to the goal.
I yelled, I'm not ashamed to admit. In reality, I screamed. Loudly. As loud as I could. I wasn't the only one! In retrospect, I got a bit carried away with the volume of this scream. One should not, apparently, take screaming lightly. It is not for wimps.
All evening long, my throat hurt. It felt raw. Sure! You would be raw if you had to put out the sound that this throat did. It was when I went to bed that I noticed the humming noise. I did not think anything of it since I went to sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
This morning, even before my eyes were opened, I noticed a persistant humming going on in my head and in my ears. Nothing would make it go away. It was when I put the hairdryer on that I noticed the intense dislike of loud noises.
So, I feel as if I have been to a rock concert, even 24 hours after the scream that was heard round the world. I regret that yell a bit now. I want my head to clear and the world to sound right again.
However, the wonderful proud feeling of having Bethany get an assist? That will last quite a long time. With any luck, much longer than the damned hum.
Hummmmmmm!

Tuesdays are for grumpalongs!

I don't know what it is about Tuesday! The minute I wake up, I'm cranky. Not just once in a while. EVERY Tuesday. Every. I am crabby. All day long. I don't want to talk to anyone at work. Every little detail bugs me to no end.
Grumpy. On Tuesday. I can now add that to my calendar!
Call me Ms. Crankypants. Go ahead. I'll be under my pillow!

C is for

C is for Clouds. Clouds have the ability to spiff up an already spiffy sky!









Raise your hand if you are surprised that I chose clouds for my "C"!
Yeah, I'm predictable!

We interrupt this frenzied life for a blizzard break:

The weather is, indeed frightful. With blizzard warnings posted throughout this day, I will gladly settle in watching the blowing and the drifting from under my blanket, thank you very much.
I hope your Sunday is lazy too!

Hands In! GO TEAM!

As all the knitters are prepping themselves for the all important Knitting Olympics on this, Olympic Eve, let me take this opportunity to remind all of you these things:
~The newly legislated Leave No Knitter Behind Act: This important law states that no matter what, all knitters will get to the finish line even if they have to be carried over. We, the knitting spectators will do all we can to make sure of this.
~Stretching is important. Muscles are your friends. Tendons are your loved ones. Treat them kindly. If they balk, give them a break!
~It's important to carb up. Eat a nice spagetti dinner to have the energy for the long opening ceremony and subsequent events. Protein is essential. Eat small meals, often. There is no excuse for snapping at family members because of low blood sugar!
~Get plenty of rest. Rest is healing. And energy to start again. Please remember to go to bed.
~Remember: It's the process. If you do not finish, marvel at the progress you have made, the friends found along the way.
Go Team!

Thanks to JenLa for the button!

Come in! Welcome to my knitting place meme!

Well, let's see, what did I promise on this Blog IOU? I hope I did not give my stash away!
First up: My knitting place! At first, I was going to post this picture to fullfill my knitting space meme tagged by Meg!

Because I'd like everyone to believe that I live in a pristinely clean home that is magazine worthy. However, perhaps you know me better than that by now. So, I decided to show this one:

Besides the garish flash, this is the real home. See the cluttered computer desk, the table next to the sofa filled with knitting needles and photos and a bottle of wine (It's Bearitage Claret that Andy got me for Christmas and I'm not sure I'm going to like it!) The yarn filled kitchen chair that is there to prop up your feet when computering, the netflix envelope waiting to go back ( I believe the movie inside is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which I loved! Johnny Depp. If he's in it, I'll see it!) The ugly, ugly carpeting in pine green. This carpet has been here since we moved in. I know. Why did we do that? We intend to change it. The intent just gets pushed off further and further. I mean, it's a lot of work! :)
What about when I sit there?

Oh, the flash makes things a bit bright. The room has a cozy glow to it usually! (read:Dark and hard to read) Yes, cozy. Ahem. I hate bright lighting, my eyes hate dim lighting lately. Go figure. A conundrum.
So, there are my feet, on the ottoman. See the hockey bag? Yup. It sits there every day. Our home seriously lacks closet space. But really, who has a closet big enough to store a hockey bag in? I salute your closet if it's that big. The chair behind it is as old as the hills. We should get rid of it. The only reason it sticks around is that Fig hides under it during thunderstorms and I can't bear the thought of him running around, trying to get under all the furniture while scared out of his wits. So, it sits there. It was given to us when we were first married and it was old then. It too is ugly, but it makes a good closet chair. Yes, closet chair. Coats, mittens, newspapers, laundry, blankets: they all end up here. I can't stop a force this powerful. Believe me, I've tried!
My knitting place. It's home! Should I tag someone?
Okay, um....how about Lisa. Geez, she probably did this months ago and I just can't remember. But this is a meme that should keep on going, don't you think?
Who else? Donna? Have you done this one?
It's almost painful for me to choose people. Are you happy? PAINFUL? Look what I do for you? Oh, sorry, sometimes it's hard to turn off the mother of a teen thing.
:)
And the final choice to do this meme: YOU. Yes, I'm talking to you. I tag you. Leave a comemnt here and we will all, in an orderly mob, visit your blog and see your home.
Okay, this is one part of the IOU done. More to come apparently. I'll keep the light on!

I was gonna..

I was going to show you:
~The sock. Yes, THE sock. It's zinging it's way to the toe. And I'm excited, really! But it's the sunlight around here. It's in short supply especially on days that I don't settle down until later. So, no sock picture.
~My knitting place. The meme of long ago. It was one of my favorites. Don't you love to get a peek at blogger's homes? Not just the cleaned up photo corner, the real home?? I do. So, I took a couple of shots and I'll show them. Just not now. I don't feel like it.
~My "C" is for...entry. This abc thing seemed easier than it's turning out to be. Okay, I have a C thing planned, but not for tonight.
~In fact, what I really need to do is pee. Really. I do. And then I may as well stay upstairs and go to bed. I have been looking forward to some serious pillow time all day. ALL day. And here it is, I may as well take advantage of it.
So, I hope you will accept this. My IOU.
IOU one super duper blog entry.
sincerely,
Sandy's blog

It's Sunday and the weather's fine!

Today, looking up there's this:

Looking down there's this:

Shhhh! It's the jaywalker sock and I've started the heel! I don't want to jinx it, you know, this being my 5th try on this sock!
The rest of the day will consist of more of that, some laundry, a nice roast beef dinner (the hubby loves his beef, what can I say?) and the super bowl.
Life is good!

winning is fun! So is a general outpouring of love!

Holy Sock Yarn! I am humbled by your outpouring. I hope to be able to email every single one of you to thank you personally. Please look for that message over the next year or two!
:)
Without further delay, I used this random number generator, using 263 numbers (the number of comments around 11:00 am EST this morning). The number generated was 16.
Checking the comments, the 16th comment was from Cate from Mamacate. I am tickled that the random generator chose Ms. Random herself for the prize. Too bad it wasn't Wednesday when I chose, Wednesday being Cate's choice for randomness.
Thank you to each and every one of you for fussing over me.
What's UP today?

You know, not only spectacularly stunning skies are beautiful.
Do you think I'll get 270 comments today?
Yeah, probably not! But please, if you don't comment literally, comment in your mind!
:)

February 3rd: It's my 3 year bloggyversary!

3 years of blogging. So we must have the annual WHY I BLOG thoughts. Strap in!
Frankly, blogging would be nothing without you. It would be a paper diary and I have never kept up with those for too long. 3 years ago, I envisioned my blog would contain my knitting history. No more, no less. What I've gotten was so much more.
Each and every one of you has enriched my life beyond my expectation. I have met so many people, in real life and in the words of emails. Some have come and gone, some have stuck around, ALL of you have made a difference. You have enriched my life. Listened when I needed to talk about something. Advised when I needed guidance. Cried with me as life strikes it's blows. Laughed about mundane everyday life. Celebrated my knitting successes and commiserated my knitting failures. Poked back when we needed to poke fun at ourselves. Shared recipes. Encouraged. Patted on the back. Held my hand, wiped my tears. And the laughs. We had lots of laughs.
This means a lot to me. You mean a lot to me.
So, thank you dear reader. I couldn't do it without you.
Shall we have a thank you contest?
Why YES, I think we shall!
Leave a bloggyversary comment and you'll be entered for one skein (not yet bought) of the opal dreamcatcher sock yarn. The drawing will be at random and will be when my bloggyversary is done. Feb. 4th.

Did you see your shadow today?

First I saw it here. Then here. And here. Original idea of Grace's Poppies. I had to find a poem. Frantic search ensued and I think this fits the bill, even though it's song lyrics. Poetic, soul touching lyrics.

Bloggers Silent Poetry Reading:

Imagine, by John Lennon

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Used to quilt: that's what it should say beside my name!

Sandy, she used to quilt!
I promised Carole and Blogless Sharon that I would post a picture of my quilt. This was a mystery quilt project done with my local guild, stuffed in a closet, unfinished of course and found recently by me. I have to say, I like it! Perhaps it needed a bit of a hibernation for the love to develop!

Tilt your head to the left to get the top on the top where it belongs. I know. I shoulda, woulda, coulda. Just tilt, please!
See the stalk?

Well, it looks kind of ridiculous and lonely without it's yoyo flowers that should have been attached!

A closer look around the quilt!





And unless I can knit a backing, I'm just not that interested in finishing it. I'd love to have it hanging on my wall, though!
How about you? What did you USED to do?