59. The last day of February *Usually* and the weather is freezing

Amaryllis are pink
and
sweaters are blue
tomorrow's a blog day off
can I stand it?
~~
Pink:

Susan the amaryllis is such a trooper. Despite an extreme case of bulb rot including a small force of fruit flies (which are really like the buzzards of the plant world, right?) she is putting forth such a magnificent display of beauty. Bravo, Susan!
Blue:

Flyingdales the cardigan grows and grows and never gets finished. It's the perpetual sweater! (Fun, though!)
Blog day off:
The extra day. What to do. Blog? Not blog? "they" want us to take a day off. "WE" say HELL NO, WE WON'T GO! Or something. I'm sure there's a chant in there somewhere.
Will I be back tomorrow? Won't I? Tune in tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel!
(That was always my favorite show as a kid. I was such a 70's kid, tomboy at that!)

58. D is for...

Dahlias.
When we moved into our home 19 years ago, the neighbor's yard was pitiful. Overgrown in spots with weeds, the rest a dustbowl that was used for extra parking. And then Mr. Connelly started to plant Dahlias. Only a few that first year. But if you know anything about Dahlias, they are not hardy in our winter. They have to be dug up every fall and replanted in the spring. Every year he would buy more and have more from the tubers multiplying.
To my delight, his 2 huge yards are filled to the brim with dahlias in late summer. They are worth the wait. Their personalities and exteriors differ from each other. There is nothing better than strolling through the thousands of dahlias on a warm summer evening. And bonus? I have no weeding to do!

Dahlias are Delightful.
~Click to see bigger photo~

57. C is for...

Clouds! (who is suprised, raise your needles)
I have been gazing up at the sky for as long as I have had a neck. Clouds are like the jewelry of the sky. The bling.
It was hard to narrow down a few hundred. :)
Whether they are puffy, feathery, white, gray, stormy or happy, I love them all.
Here's to clouds:
(all pictures taken by me)

56. B is for

Blueberry cake. Not just any blueberry cake, my Aunt Gloria's blueberry cake. It has been a staple in our family for my whole life. I pass the love of the cake onto my children.
My Aunt Gloria, or MaTante as we called her, was my favorite Aunt! Her and Uncle Joe both stood about 5 feet tall. They were poor as dirt. My cousins, Donna, Dennis and Donald all shared a bedroom. And I envied them so! I thought they were lucky. I'm sure they thought the same of me in my singularly occupied bedroom and in ground pool in the yard. Along with so many warm, fun memories of that family, I have this recipe. It is a hit wherever I bring it with the moist cake and abundant fruit filling.
MaTante's blueberry cake:
2 tablespoons soft butter
1 cup sugar
a little salt
Blend together
add 2 egg yolks (saving the whites in a separate bowl)
Beat all together good.
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup milk (thanks, Cookie for pointing out my typo. It would be hard to add MILD to the mix!)
Mix well
In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into rest of batter.
Put 1/2 of batter into 8x8 pan, sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
Pour at least 3 cups of blueberries over the top of batter. Fresh ones are great but frozen work well too. You'll never know they were frozen. Do not thaw them.
Sprinkle a bit of flour on the blueberries and a bit of sugar if you wish.
Put rest of batter on top. (This is hard to spread over so many blueberries so I skooch the batter to the edge of the bowl and pour it out in ribbons on top, covering it evenly)
Bake in 350 degree F oven for 45-50 minutes. Should be "good and brown" on top.
NOTE: I always always double this recipe and bake in a 13x9 pan, cooking for about an hour.

~~~
Yes, I'm late as usual with this B segment. This week will now be known as CATCH UP, SANDY week. What are they on, Q????

55. I'm craving cheese

According to the poll that I put up regarding starting a virtual book club, Seen here on February 17th (click<------ to vote!), 157 of you chimed in. Wow! Now, to figure out the logistics would take a bit of math and if you know me at all, you know that math makes me itch so here's the breakdown (sans math)
9% of you said yes. A million times YES.
34% of you did not like to be so flipping cheery about it, but still, Yes.
4% of you declined. Busy people you.
8% said not know but maybe in the future. Perhaps they don't like the ideas of being my guinea pigs. Who could blame them, really.
27% of you are a fickle bunch. It depends what we read. I suppose if I say that we will read the B book of the Encyclopedia Brittanica some of you may or may not join in. That's okay. I understand this. If you are a reader of say, science fiction or star wars novels, or romance novels with their sinewy muscles and stuff, OR historical non fiction, than you will be disappointed. Unless I don't join in. I mean, you can read those things. Reading is good. Reading is fundamental.
and
17% of you are people after my own heart. Definitely maybe. That would be me if this were on your blog.
~~~
So, what does it all mean? I will do a virtual reading club. And I think I will host it over on my reading section, found here in all it's meagerness.
I'll have a poll for the title and a sign up over there soon. Now taking suggestions. With all of my Mermaid references going on the other day, Carole suggested that it meant that The Mermaid Chair should be the first book. And perhaps she is right!
Thoughts? Arguments? Constant head nodding? It's all good!
~~
And speaking of Nora. (I was but you did not know it. I got the idea of a virtual book club from her. We won't mention the begging and the pleading! ;)
hi nora!
You can blame her for this too:

You Belong in 1962

You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too.

54. (did I really publish this without a title? What was I thinking?)

I guess it's safe to say now that the it is almost over, Norma and I were going to Cara's Surprise Baby Shower and instead we got regular Saturday stuff. Which isn't bad, it's just different. And Norma is not with me, which I did look forward to! The snow did pack a wallop. Not a single photo was taken by me, which I guess is my way of showing that snowstorm that I don't appreciate it. I'm sure it's crying.
:)
~~
I've been taking pictures of little douglas fir and putting them into a flickr photo album. See them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandysphotoaday/sets/72157603914316080/show/
I love that little tree so much!
~~~
And. I got the most interesting comment that I share it here. From Ann:

On Amaryllis bulbs you can slow the rot by not having the bulb under soil. (Stays dry that way. After the blooms are fully open you can cut the stalk, and have it as a cut flower - then slowly strip the bulb layer by layer - getting rid of the ucky ones and ones with red spots - trim the roots to the ones that are fleshy and white - then boil water and either dunk the bulb for 10 sec to kill any remaining fungus or easier put it on the ground and pour boiling water over it, make sure you flip and pour over the other side.

Then treat with an anti fungal spray (found in the gardening section) sulfur is a main ingredient, or there are powders (check the back to make sure it doesn't hurt rooting there are ones for bulbs) Trash the old soil - sanitize the pot with a bleach solution (as you probably do anyway) and repot with bulb above the soil line).

Now THAT is one reason why I love my readers!
~~~
Maybe I'll even knit tonight. Huh. That would be different!

53. Frickin' weather

You won't hear me say that much, "frickin weather" because I usually love it all! But what was SUPPOSED to happen today was that my Norma was going to be making her way down to MY HOUSE and spend the night here. Then we were going on a train ride. All of it fun and wonderful. Instead?

Pretty, right? I suppose. But this is more how I see it:

Shaking fist at snow! (Pay no attention to the man hand in that photo. It is not as manly as it looks. In fact, it's a perfectly proportioned woman hand. Just not in this photo for some reason).
Review? Snow. No Norma. No train. No fun.
The good thing? I did not clean my house for nothing. Because I did not clean my house. That decision I had started to regret as I looked around this morning at the piles on the counters and tables, the stack of mail on the desk. But then the snow started. Rescuing me from the embarrassment of clutter in front of a friend but plunging my weekend into non fun status.
~~
And? (time for a bit of LOST talk) AARON????

52. My day in a list

I have had such a busy day, I have neglected this poor blog. I bet a couple of you thought this might be the demise of the 365? Not on your life!
My day:
1. the usual stuff: work and junk
2. hair appointment where I spend an hour and a half (!!) getting a color other than gray put in.
3. And my eyebrows done. Honestly. If you don't do this for yourself, you should. Put it on your list right now. Eyebrow wax.
4. Realize the time! GAH!
5. A bit of handwringing over the dinner decision.
6. Chinese it is!
7. Rush home with Chinese food in a bag!
8. Notice the big, huge, beautiful moon shining down on me! It looks like it's showing off a bit. "I had an eclipse and you DIDN'T!!!"
9. Eat a small bowl of chicken lo mein
10. Did I say eat? Nah. Inhale!
11. Go to pick up Bethany from work.
12. Drop her off at home and realize that we don't have a square to spare. Stop at grocery store to pick up TP.
13. Spend $35 on "toilet paper" and a couple of other items of course. Who can go into a store and buy one thing? If you can, I applaud you!
14. now? Blogging. And wondering whether the weather will get in the way of a weekend plan. Rat it all.
Pink amaryllis is trying it's best to bloom despite it's ewwwy rotting bulb. It's getting pretty ugly too. The bulb, not the bloom!

51. some random and a bit of celebrating!

Time to choose the random winner for the Judy Yarn! Thank you all again for the wonderful wishes and comments.
Using my Random Number generator, Alice of Through the Looking Glass Knits is the winner! Alice is a winner! And I mean that with the utmost respect! The rest of you should mob over and buy Judy's yarn. I am not her publicist but I know great yarn when I see it!
Now for other random Wednesdayly things:
1. Is it just me or are Sea Monkeys quite creepy!??
2. Join me in celebrating with Bethany who is now an EMT! She has been studying hard and nervous as anything but she is now officially a licensed EMT in the state of Massachusetts! I'm telling you that if anything ever goes wrong with you, SHE is the one you want. She is now officially looking for a job with an ambulance company! CONGRATULATIONS, BETH! I'M PROUD OF YOU!!!
3. Really, aren't sea monkeys the creepiest?
4. Don't forget to look UP tonight, there is a total lunar eclipse tonight! <----- click link to see if you can see the eclipse and the time to start your looking UP!
~~~
Later, gators.

50. heartfelt mermaids, er, thanks

WOW! You sure know how to make a girl feel special, don't you! I figure it's one of two things.
1. You either like me
or
2. You LOVE the offer of free Judy's yarn. Who wouldn't really?
Be sure to go back and take the poll about the virtual book club. I'm going to think about the wheres, whats and whys and let you know what I come up with.
How do I adequately thank all of you who have made this blog part of my life. I appreciate you coming back here everyday and reading my thoughts. I appreciate you laughing with me and even crying with me, giving out hugs or lifting me when I need support.
We've had some times, haven't we?
~sniff.
~~~
OKAY, then. I have a story about coincidence for you. And first I ask you this: When is something just a coincidence and when does it mean SOMETHING? The world may never know, of course.
Yesterday, I was thrilled to get comments from new to me people. I love it when people climb out of the woodwork. But one in particular. You see, I had just said to Bethany, "Your hair is so long right now!" and she said "I am going to grow it until it is Mermaid hair"
Or something like that. Mermaid hair? I had to have her explain it to me. You know when a mermaid comes out of the sea, her hair falls to the front of her body and covers her...well, you know, chest area. Cute, I think, while clicking to the next message to read. It is from someone named Tee, whose blog name is Mermaid Rock. Now, I never in the course of casual conversation talk about Mermaids. Not since the kids were little and we used to live for the Little Mermaid anyway. It has been years since thinking the word Mermaid. And yet, here it is twice in one minute. Weird. WEIRD. What does it mean? We chuckle a bit, nervously like we may be missing a sign, Bethany and I. And then? I go to Nina's blog to see her daily blog entry (she is one of the crazy's too, but you did not hear it from me) and she links to a person with a funny cat story. Which blog was the link going to? You guessed it! Mermaid Rock.
Okay. Now? I'm just getting goosebumps. WHAT DOES IT MEAN??
I know I'm missing out on some kind of Mermaid message.
~~~
Not a mermaid:

It looks like a mitten but is actually an Estonian Hand Puppet from Spin Off Summer 2006! I needed a bit of a break from the Flyingdales knitting. A small break, not a hibernation. Sometimes you just need to knit something cute.
But to reiterate: a sheep puppet is NOT a mermaid. Not now. Not ever.
~~~
P.S. Thank you, again! So many comments!

49. Let's get this party started

Do you see it? Over there on the right? BLOGIVERSARY TODAY!
I have now been blogging for 5 years! Half a decade! What a ride it's been! I cannot imagine my life without blogging. I (of course) started this blog as a means to document my projects. And document I did. What I did not expect was the community I would find. The friends. I never imagined the friendships I would form and the support and kindness I would find in the blog world. There have been thorns, sure, but the good outweighs the bad.
So, you, my readers. Thank you for visiting. And now you come here every day to read and that astounds me. I will never cease to be amazed at the fact that people read my words and then come back again tomorrow. Thank you for that.
It wouldn't be a blogiverary without a CONTEST, now would it?
Leave me a comment, say something nice, say something not nice, just say SOMETHING and I will pick a name, randomly and will have some yummy yarn sent your way. Most likely from Judy's wonderful creations. Hmm. We need a deadline, don't we? Okay, leave a comment by Wednesday, February 20th, high noon, EST.
And while you are at it, here's a poll for you:
With Nora's inspiration, I am tossing around the idea for a blog book club. We would all decide upon a book and a date for discussion. Interested? Not? Do the poll.

~~
In review: (it is YOU who has to do the work today)
Leave a comment for a chance at yarn
Answer the poll
~~~
P.S. 5 years!!! Am I daft?
:D

48. The one where I admit to wanting to hog tie someone.

Sick of amaryllis talk yet? I wouldn't blame you.

This one is called Susan. Someone else around blogland is sporting one, so I won't ask for your guesses on her colorage. I have my fingers crossed that she gets to bloom. You see, she has a dirty little secret.

GAH! Bulb rot! Oh, the humanity! I did not mean to harm her with water! It started slow on just a corner of the bulb. I saw it turning weird colors and getting soft. When I noticed it spreading, I CUT the offending part off the rest of the bulb. Amputation to save the life. And it worked. For about 2 weeks. (OH! The smell of a freshly cut amaryllis bulb! It is an awful, strong, kitchen permeating smell, believe me) Now I notice the bulb is soft and funky looking. It's a race to see who will win. Susan's beautiful bloom or the ranky, rotting bulb. An amazing race it will be.
There is one more amaryllis around here. It's a papillio amaryllis. A slow grower in the amaryllis world. We don't hate things because they are slow. That just gives more time to love them! But I'm a bit worried as all she is showing is leaves.
Not a sprout in sight.

Sproutless. Leaves galore. Roots crossed that she will throw a sprout up.
~~
And in totally random musings of my brain (but then again, aren't ALL of the blog entries that?) I could hog tie and drag the makers of video games. Specifically, Tiger Woods, PGA 08 but in general, all PS2 games.
Shame on THEM for putting a game out with 4 or 5 crowd sounds that loop through the entire game. Hour after hour of play. Hour UPON HOUR. You see, Andy likes to play this golf game on Sunday mornings. Who am I to judge that a man likes to relax after a hard week of work and waste hours playing a silly video game instead of knitting something out of wool? What does he have to show for his hard work? Sore thumbs and not a sweater in sight. But to reiterate, who am I to judge?
Back to the hog tying. Those game developers should have to sit and listen to their creation for 4 hours straight and let's see if it doesn't make THEM stark raving mad.
We'll see.

47. A cartoon for a Saturday, laugh day

cartoon by Doug Savage, Savage Chickens
You know how I have been loving poetry lately!
Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get from the left to the right.
~~
got a joke?

46. Some leftover love

The only thing about blogging every day is that sometimes I am enjoying a post and it's comments so much that I'd like it to stay up there active so that people over the weekend will comment on it too. I have enjoyed our little LOVE LISTS of yesterdays posts. If you haven't chimed in on what you love, do so. Make a crazy 365 blogger happy. Throw me a bone. Or a heart shaped cracker, whatever.
The above flowers were given to me by Andy, my love. I do so love flowers. I know that plants will last much longer and everything but I so love me some fresh flowers every now and then. They really brighten a winter's day!
As I settled in last night, with big (ha! "BIG") plans of watching LOST and knitting on flyingdales, all of a sudden I could not stay awake. It was like I had taken a sleeping pill. If offered a bunch of money, I could not have pried my eyes open. Good thing I DVR'ed LOST. (I love my DVR) (I love LOST) (I love sleeping)! I blame the Cam Neely wine. It was good but not a favorite. Probably laced with sleeping fairy dust.
Or something.
:)

I love watching things grow.

45. Love is....

Amour, amor, liebe, amore, liefde, kjærlighet. In any language, it means the same. Love.
Today, being the day of love, I would like to know what you love.
Me?
I love cooking my loved ones a nice dinner, complimented by a variety of beverages for every taste!
Menu:
Filet Mignon
Oven roasted carrots
garlic mashed potatoes
Beverage choices:
Mike's Cranberry Hard lemonade
Wachusett IPA
or, my personal choice
CamBernet Wine. Which is Cam Neely's Cabernet.
(Vegetarians: AVERT YOUR EYES!)

~~~~
So, what do you love?

44. A little bit of "how do ya like tha weathah?", a question, a sprout and a question answered

The weather here in New England has been tough lately. (And, just so you know? US New Englanders like to use the phrase "Here in New England when really we mean RIGHT HERE, where I live. But we lump 6 states in with us. It's a "thing" "we" do).
For instance (weather, not New Englanders), around 3 am, I awoke to see about 5 inches of snow outside. Cool. I love the sound of the world when it is snow covered. Around 4:30 am, I was awoken by the sound of freezing rain hitting all of the windows simultaneously. At 5 am, I rise and shine for the day and jump in for my morning shower. When I exit the shower about 12.4 minutes later, sleet is slapping the window.
I get ready for work and slog out to the car to clean off all the wet snow and it's raining, making an icky mess.
As I leave work today, needing a quick stop at the grocery store to buy egg noodles for the tuna casserole that has my name on it tonight, it is raining. "Raining" seems a bit of an understatement that is the constant deluge falling from the sky. It is rather FLOODISH out. Huge, deep puddles with messy, heavy snow at the bottom. I had to practically swim the egg noodles to my door.
I'm sure any minute now, I'll see a cat float by in the driveway! (Not Fig, he is a smart cat, he won't go near the door when it's storming!)
Proving our New England adage: If you don't like the weather, wait a minute!
I bet you use that adage about your home too. We New Englanders (see?) like to claim it as our own. But you use it too, don't you?
~~
Sometimes I have to grow things just because. Bethany gave me this little Douglas Fir seed "kit" for Christmas. I never gave up hope that it would sprout. Although I will admit to a bit of doubt creeping in!

Grow little sprout, grow!
~~~
To answer a question asked by Nina:
Nina said:

I'll take the purse and the snappy. You keep the banana chips. You love banana chips??

You'll have to wrestle the cute purse out of my cold, stiff hands. :D And I do not, as a rule like banana chips. But these are no ordinary banana chips. They are Cookie's banana chips, which apparently makes a difference. Perhaps because they are real food made in a real way.

43. serendipitous gifts

Sometimes things arrive in the mail at the most perfect of times! Almost makes you wonder if the mailman has a crystal ball and sees that today is craptastic and would be a great day for a little pick me up~
So, today, a day of thanks:

Thank you to Carrie for a little Pay it Forward fun. She made this wonderful little felted purse in the loveliest of sky blue colors for me! I love it! It is so cute and I can think of a million ways to use it!
But that was not all in that gift!

She also made he cutest little snap pouch and matching idea notebook. The notebook has already gotten some use!
Thank you, Carrie!
AND.
As if that was not enough:

Dried Banana Chips! From the wondiferous Cookie! Thank you, Cookie! (she is one generous lady folks, but don't tell her I told you!)
These yummy banana chips almost ALMOST make me want to get a fruit dehydrator. Almost but not quite. Then I'd have to do it. Dry fruit.
Do you know about my love of bananas? I'm crazy about them.
~~~
Song of the day:
Make the World Go Away

Make the world go away
And get it off my shoulders!

~~
Hmmm. I wonder if I could put some banana chips in my new mini purse?

42. napkins not optional

Flyingdales is growing and growing but yet not close to done. Doesn't seem fair somehow. I had some high hopes of wearing it to a friend's get together at the end of this month but that seems a bit like reaching for the rainbow right now. I have a better chance of a leprechaun coming over and giving me a pot of gold than finishing this sweater in the next 2-3 weeks.
But hey, I'm an optimist and you never know. A leprechaun MAY knock on my door any minute now.
And in fruit news:
(because you were most likely looking around the blog world for some fruit news, weren't you?)
I got all excited when I saw these at Whole Foods over the weekend:

Honestly, I had never heard of this type of orange. But the name, Cara Cara piqued my attention and then I read that it is a Pink Navel. Sold.
I could not help thinking of Kramer rushing into Jerry's apartment eating a peach, exclaiming "Mackinaw Peaches, Jerry!" Perhaps I had finally found my Mackinaw peach.

And the inside! OH! The inside! Such a lovely shade of pink contrasting with the orange peel. The flavor is wonderfully sweet and only a bit tart with loads of juice to run down your arm and nary a seed to be found.
Hmm. Pardon me while I end this blog post and go eat me an orange!

41. Indeed

Had a late night and am left all fuzzy today so one of my favorite songs for you. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

40. A couple of flowers and 6 words to ponder

Word Memoirs: Life Stories Distilled
LINK FIXED: CLICK ABOVE! Thanks, Norma!
Taken from the website above,

Once asked to write a full story in six words, legend has it that novelist Ernest Hemingway responded: "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn."

6 words. Not many but so many. I wondered about this since I read it last night. Of course, I could do MANY sets of 6 words.
But maybe this one:

Raising wonderful people, now finding myself.

or this one:

Seeing the beauty in my life.

The red amaryllis gave me a bit of a bonus with another bloom! It is unusual to get 2 stalks of buds.
And the Christmas Cactus decided to surprise me too:

And there is always cat prints in the snow:

Not Fig's prints. He doesn't DO snow.
~~
What are your six words?
(feel free to ponder and return later with your words. Just be sure to come back. :D)

39. snowy day and a bit of blathering

It's been snowing here for 2 or 3 or 35 days straight now. Luckily, it's the lazy, pretty kind of snow, not the one that means business. Actually, not only snow, we've had practically every weather there is. Including a roaring thunderstorm while I was trying to sleep Wednesday night. That was weird. February thunder! I was not amused.

Snow on seed pods in my neighbor's yard.

Snow on the railing.
~~
And in totally useless blatherings, I am sick to death of my inability to stick up for myself while angry. I freeze up, walking away making me kick myself all day long. In the hours that followed, I came up with plenty of snappy arguements, none of them (okay, SOME of them) rude. Did I go forth and state them? No. I told people off in my mind. Over and over. Leaving me shaking and so upset with myself. I can write a scathing email or letter but in person? I turn tail and run. I wish I would learn to stick up for myself.
I avoid confrontation like the plague.
Confrontation makes me itch. (not actual itching)
Meh.
I'm going to open a bottle of wine tonight and perhaps even have a glass of WHINE to go along.
~~
Thank you, oh thank you for all the kind words about the special creature that hatched yesterday. I guess it's growing on me! Poor little thing~!

38. Well, that was a waste of one hour of my life that I'll never get back

I got this bright idea to make a needle felted sheep. The idea hatched and grew and even though I had no white or off white fleece, I went ahead and tried it. I was so excited. I even shed blood for this little guy. (Note to self: needles hurt fingers)
I hate to even show him, but here goes.

I know. A sheep???? You may be muttering to yourself. A legitimate question. Kind of came out looking like a mutated cross between a rabbit and a pig. A PIGGIT. Or a RABBIG. Either way? Not a sheep. (poor little things eye is even hanging off)
Turn to the side, little Rabbig:

Profile is not any better.
Not quite what my imagination had dreamed up.
QUICK LOOK OVER THERE! What's THAT?

I suppose distracting you away from the train wreck will do no good. The poor little thing is here to stay.

37. Assuage Watch Wednesday*

*Over at Dave's Cabin Cove, Wednesday is Ass Watch Wednesday. With apologies and thanks to Dave all at the same moment, I present, Assuage Watch Wednesday for those looking to deal with Post SuperBowl Blues. The Patriots loss. It's hard but we can make it. **
~~
~There is always next year. This has been the mantra for Boston area sports for years and years. This time? It may indeed be true.
~At least the Patriots are not The Bruins. (I love the Bruins, don't get me wrong. But they do more losing than winning. Maybe Next Year)
~Tom Brady will get older and better. Tom, next year!
~You should knit copiously on a favorite item. I recommend the Noro striped Scarf.

as seen here a couple of days ago. Not only will yarn buying do it's part in the Assuaging, but the knitting itself is therapeutic and the color changes keep your mind busy. A win/win situation if ever there was one.
~Don't forget to look up. Figuratively and literally. There's a great big sky above you and whether blue or grey, sunny or raining, day or night it's there. Soothing. Reminding you that There is Always Next Year.

(vintage sky photo: our sky today is bleak. Just like our Patriot hearts)

~Making wishes can never hurt. Blow dandelions around, find some 4 leaf clovers and use up your birthday candle wishes. It's never wasted. It's your team. There is always next year.
~be sure to look at cuteness:

This will help you forget the bitterness of that last play of the game. It's okay. Look into Fig's eyes. There's always next year!
~Dry your eyes, Patriots fans. Turn that frown upside down.
There's always.......

The Red Sox. Spring Training starts in 23 days. Could be THIS year?
~~~~
** Thanks to Lucia for sprouting an idea!

36. Who voted for the high fructose corn syrup that is what I'd like to know?

And at my polling place?

Nary a sign holder or enthusiastic waver in sight. Although I usually hate them with a burning passion? I kind of missed the attention today.
And what else did I see along my way?

I love the SoBe sticker! But I wondered (and still do) what is MHD? Massachusetts Highway Department? I doubt it. MoHawk Delight? My Hot Dog?
I just wonder, that's all.

The Woofin Waggin! Is that a Bed and Breakfast, you may think? No. It's a Bred & Biscuit! Of course.
Next stop? BJ's WHolesale Club to get dinner. After all, a girl busy doing her civic duty cannot be expected to slave over a hot stove. Can she?

Rotisserie Chickens. The best around! (which leaves enough leftovers for a chicken and rice dinner tomorrow night (which is one of my favorite recipes) and then a bonus stock with the bones!)
Who can come out of one of those stores with only 2 chickens anyway. I did find these blueberries! They are delicious and good for you too!

All those antioxidants!
Imagine my disappointment when I read the ingredients (when I got home, unfortunately). Shouldn't the ingredients read:
Ingredients: Blueberries.

Way to ruin some good blueberries, Wylers! pfft!
~~~~
ADDED:
I would like to find a book club to join or start one near my home. I would travel a 1/2 hour or so but not more. Anyone know of one in my area? Or would anyone like to join one if I start it? (Don't know my area? Comment to me and I'll tell ya) I'm craving intellectual conversation about words. (not blog words, you know, page words)
:D

35. seeing is believing

Forrest Gump said that his mama says that "Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get". His mama could have been talking about knitting on a Noro stripey scarf. You never know what comes next. It's the curiosity that keeps the needles clacking. You think you know what the scarf will look like and then all of a sudden, out of the blue you have a lime green patch that, oddly enough, looks great!
(knit one, Cookie!) (Cookie is trying to work up the "courage" to knit one. Go ahead over there and tell her to JUST DO IT! Go. Please)
~~
This?

PROVES without a shadow of a doubt that the sun does indeed come up after a heartbreaking football loss.
Imagine.

34. It's Sunday and that is Super!

My first try at needle felting. I have to say that I am quite enamored by the process! It was fun and I felt quite creative in a way that I haven't in a while.
~~
I'll be eating chili later, watching the Super Bowl (Go Patriots) and knitting my little heart out on my Noro striped scarf. <---Ravelry link. If you aren't on ravelry yet, you can go to the flickr page, that is, if you don't hate flickr with a burning passion. Like someone I know. :D
Grow little scarf, grow!

33. "I wandered lonely as a cloud" ~ William Wordsworth

Margene reminded me that it's not only Groundhog day, today is the 3rd annual silent poetry reading!. I'm sorry for the repeat, but I cannot resist posting my favorite poem for today!

(raindrops on daffodil photo taken last spring)

I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company;

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

--William Wordsworth (1807)

32. Beautiful on the inside

Can fruit be eye candy? It's certainly candy for the mouth!
~~
By the time the 2145th* person told me I looked "terrible" today, I was wondering what the fuss was all about. I went to the ladies room and the delightful fun house mirror with blaring fluorescent lighting bordering on xray beams showed me that they most definitely were correct. I did look terrible. Puffy eyes and cheeks, bloodshot eyes, pale and yet blotchy red however the hell that could happen. I was a real delight on the eyes today! Good thing I felt good! Which was a small consolation to those who had to endure looking at me all day long.
This is why Mr. Blood Orange up there is quite symbolic of my eyes today.
~~
*exaggeration, of course. It was only 1253.
Or it felt like it.