It has been so long since I was tagged

for this that I don't remember the rules sorry - but here are my weird things--

1) I cannot sit with my back exposed in a public place like a restaurant. If I end up in that position I keep turning around to see what is behind me - I actually have a weird sensation on my back --- Hubby swears I was a gambler in a past life who was shot in the back at a table.

2) I make lists - lists of lists even -- do I do what is on the list NOOOOO but I have the list for it.

3) I also read --- a lot. I usually have 3 paper books going in the house one or two on the computer, along with magazines, newspapers, and also a book or two in each car and one in my bag along with my knitting... for "just in case"

4) I love fish and I love smoked food but smoked fish makes me gag. However - I love smoking fish for other people.

5) My body temperature is weird -- it is usually around 94 degrees then it suddenly jumps up to 100 or 101 -- it is rare that it is anywhere near what is considered normal - which drives my doctors nuts at times. They keep saying "How do you feel? Are you feeling sick" and I keep telling them no more than usual.

6) My memory sucks - I can't remember names or dates to save my life - but I am great at Jeopardy. I guess my brain is full of mainly useless information from all the books I read.

Now I honestly can't think of anything else that is odd about me - but I am sure if you asked anyone who knows me they could come up with a list a mile long. It just means I don't think anything else is odd about me - not that it isn't odd hehehe

We had our New Years traditional Lobster dinner and are sitting here now getting ready to watch some DVDs until midnight - will toast the New Years in if hubby stays awake long enough - but since we have been running for 3 days I really doubt he will make it (me, I will be up until 2 or 3 no matter what) And we are listening to the scanner with all the calls for the drunks on the road (already at 8:30 pm), the fights and domestic incidents and the suicidal people (2 so far in the last 6 hours) and I am very verry happy to be in my cozy home and in a few minutes in my cozy comfy pj's instead of out among all of those things. Does this mean we are getting old?

Happy New Year and Healthy New Year to everyone!!

Looking on the positive side

that this happened this week so it can get fixed before we go to Florida - but still .... CRAP!!

I was going to knitting circle and stopped at MIL's on the way to drop off some seafood chowder and a water bottle for her to drink from (she is having problems holding a glass straight when she goes to drink from it and spills and she is having problems chewing and swallowing so soup is good for her now) and of course the water bottle rolls off the seat and between the seat and the passenger side door - - I run around the car to get the bottle and soup out and open the door and the door won't close!!!! I locked it, unlocked it - using the remote then using the key and nothing -- the piece that holds the door shut is stuck and now the door hits the bar and won't close -- I tried using a pliers to grab it and move it - no go .... so I am home now -- called to say I wouldn't make it to circle and wishing R. hadn't taken his truck to a friends house when they left for Rhode Island today. I literally drove home with a shopping bag looped over the inside door handle holding it across the seat to keep the door shut (which I figured out after the door opened as I was driving)

We actually have an appointment to get the car checked over, and any thing needed done to it and the inspection done on Sat. - so like I said it is good it happened now and not half way to Florida.... but still.... CRAP!

I was tagged with the 6 weird thing meme - and am still working on what exactly I want to reveal about me that is weird but maybe not too weird -- and there is just too much to choose from too. :D

Knitters are amazing

Go to the Yarn Harlot blog and check out how the Knitters without Borders are doing in the donations to Knitters without Borders. Since Friday night she has raised over $80,000 dollars for them - I am putting the banner on my blog now that I have made a donation to this worthy cause.

My eye doctor is one of the doctors who has done lots of work with this group and now I can feel that I made a small contribution at least.

Seriously though - see what knitters have done as a group - donating to this cause, knitting for charities (Dulaan, Warm up America, Prayer Shawls, caps for preemies etc) and be amazed.

So many times I have thought what can I do by myself that would make a difference in the world and feel that I have no power - then I see what we, as a group, have done and I realize that knitters are a force to be reckoned with. Imagine what we could do if we had some knitters in major political offices pulling us all together. We could run the world bwahahaha.....

Thank You Stephanie for opening my eyes to the possibilities of group participation for change.

A walk down memory lane

Jo (of Celtic Memory Yarn) wrote in her blog some memories of horseback riding as a child. That brought back some fun memories of my childhood and horses and fun fun fun. Now I never had a horse of my own -but so many of my friends did - and some of them even lived in the city during the week so I got to exercise their horses.

We had scavenger hunts on horseback for birthday parties, we rode in parades, we went to gymkhanas and one of the moms made matching outfits for some of the pair events (like relay races with eggs on spoons), we played broomstick polo, played knights by holding long sticks and spearing small rings suspended over the course (much safer than actual jousting that we originally thought of doing), we did Bonac Pole bending - a seriously sick game - you rode like a bat out of hell weaving in and out of telephone poles and mailboxes trying to get as close as possible to them (any wonder I have lousy knees now) We would ride double and bareback on one horse down the field and turn quickly at the end and try to stay on - now don’t think we were being cruel to poor Playboy - he would do this to us on a regular basis (make 90 degree turns trying to make us fall off) we just found a way to have fun with the psycho horse. This is the same horse that stepped on my foot while squeezing me against a fence - he owed me some fun LOL

We would ride thru the woods to go to another beach - and to this day to get to those beaches on the road I would have to have a map but thru the woods I knew the trails like the back of my hand (now there are probably 300 houses along the length of those trails)

And if we weren’t on horses or chatting in tack rooms we were riding our bikes to the beaches or taking a boat out from Uncle George's (where the hoses were kept) to go clamming and fishing and swimming.

But Jo I never had the experience of clambering up an embankment and doing a terror filled slide down the other side. Damn this girl would have been doing some major praying on the way down for sure.

So Jo thanks for the walk down memory lane - it was grand fun.

So tomorrow will be turkey with the in-laws and Sat. I will be cooking the free turkey I got from King Kullen for us - we should be turkeyed out soon don’t you think - the main turkey meal, turkey sandwiches, turkey pot pie, hot turkey sandwiches, all finished with turkey soup from the carcass - I just love turkey :D

misc. stuff today

which shows I am not 100% yet but I am not lying in bed in a fetal position so we have progress. Tomorrow I will do shopping that I have needed to do for a week (hubby shopped for basics in the meantime) and I AM going to go to knitting circle for a while at least.

here is my quiz result

What Color is Your Brain?

ORANGE:

At work or in school: I need to be "hands on": I like to play games, to compete, and to perform. I enjoy flexibility, changes of pace, and variety. I have difficulty with routine and structure. My favorite subjects are music, art, theatre, and crafts. I often excel in sports. I like solving problems in active ways and negotiating for what I want. I can be direct and like immediate results.
With friends: Planning ahead bores me because I never know what I want to do until the moment arrives. I like to excite my friends with new and different things, places to go, and romantic moments.
With family: I need a lot of space and freedom. I want everyone to have fun. It is hard for me to follow rules, and I feel we should all just enjoy one another.
Take this quiz!








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and while I really am surprised that it was orange I have to agree with much of what it says well actually most of what it says especially the more negative stuff.

Thurs is going to be really odd for me - I usually cook Thanksgiving and plan it and bring it to MIL's house - this year the kids (niece, nephew and spouses) decided they wanted us to all chip in and buy dinner (for $200 it had best be a fantastic meal - oh what I could do with $200 for the meal) Saying they didn't want to heat up babci's (you should see the choices spell check comes up with for that lol) house since it is already hot there -- but I always cooked the turkey, etc. at my house and brought it over - the only thing actually cooked there were the potato and veggies - Oh well. I think I will still get my free turkey to cook over the weekend for the two of us - so we can have the smell of turkey in the house and my stuffing and have lots of leftovers and a carcass for soup later.

Not the KR Retreat yet

just a quick quiz that I took that was right on for me ....

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

The main reason no blog on the retreat yet is I am in a huge fibro flare - pain to the point of wanting to lie in bed in a fetal position and just rock back and forth until it ends. But I keep saying it was so worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat so I guess that tells you I really enjoyed myself there at least.

But as bad as the pain is right now I don't wnat to go to the doctors for pain meds since I would much rather save that for our trip to Florida in January. But know that I am cursing out the frigging government for thinking it has a right to stick its nose in between doctors and patients when it comes to pain meds. I never went over my alloted amount and it just allowed me to have some quality of life with pain in the mid range instead of the high range. Now I feel like a criminal when I just want to have less pain. Arrgghh
I'll go back to my book now...and I have to work myself up to go to the store tomorrow since I have nothing in the house at all...

Amazing another 2 posts in one day

Tonight I set the first fire in the wood stove - the wind is from the north and the living room is on the north side of the house - It is just a small fire to acclimate the stove and take the chill off but it is a fire. Not to mention I get to burn a bunch of credit card offers and other mail you don't want to throw in the dump.

It feels wonderful -- I do love winter and wood stoves and I really love getting rid of that mail like this...

I "borrowed" this from Christine so I would have a blog post finally

1. FIRST NAME?
Rhoda -- Rho

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
it is an old old old family name - weird names run in my family which makes genealogy easy for me.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I cry at the drop of a hat - so I know it was yesterday at something I read.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
it is ok - at least it is legible most of the time

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
ham or liverwurst -- although I buy ham more - wonder why that is?

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yep, although I wouldn’t expect me to be a phone person. (ok I left Christine's answer here because it is so me too)

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
yep

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
no.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No way in hell ----

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
stone ground oatmeal

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
No - but I am more of a clog or moc. person

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
mentally and emotionally yes - physically not so much

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Rocky Road

14. SHOE SIZE?
anywhere between 8 - 10 depends on the shoe

5. RED OR PINK?
Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I am super critical of myself

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
oh a hard one - my parents, my aunt and uncle, my cousin, my friend Anne.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Nope.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
black and green

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
mashed potatoes with raw onion cut up in it

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
food tv -

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Royal Blue

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Lilacs or Lily of the Valley in spring

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Irene from Knitting Circle

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
eyes or shoulders

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from?
yes -- or I wouldn't read her blog :D

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
non-alcohol -- coffee
alcohol - scotch

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
fishing or shooting (although I haven't shot since I broke my shoulder).

29. EYE COLOR?
blue or green or gray - depends on the day -

30. HAT SIZE?
BIG -- I have a huge head - I like to think it needs to be to fit all the brains in there....

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
I used to until my eyes started drying up.

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Oh gosh I love all food - hmmmm today I would say macaroni and cheese because I am craving it.

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I love happy endings

35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter

36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Both.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate anything

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
n/a

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
n/a

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
How to calm down

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
on a laptop now - but on desktop it is a picture of Mt McKinley I took

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
NCIS

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Rain and ocean

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES?
Beatles

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
Austria or Italy or Alaska - I think they are about the same..

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
I can figure out electronic things

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Southampton, NY


48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Nobody. I copied.

Your dinner cost HOW MUCH???

Was talking to a friend tonight and he was saying that he and his dear wife decided to go out for dinner tonight - they went to a little place a couple of towns over from us and had ...... 1 beer, 1 margarita, split an appetiser, he had soft tacos and she had fajitas no dessert nothing else to drink - so how much should that have been ......................................................................
$100 plus tip!!!! I asked if the dinner was made with Kobe beef at least. I'm sorry but that is just plain ridiculous.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have a post with pictures - I misplaced my cord to get pictures from the camera to the computer -- and haven't felt good enough to try to figure out where I put it (somewhere totally logical I am sure which is why I can't remember it right now) hehehe

And how scary is this

You Are 64% Evil

You are very evil. And you're too evil to care. Those who love you probably also fear you. A lot.

How Evil Are You?

And I am a goody two shoes -- imagine if I were truly evil.....hmmmmm though I must admit I like the idea that someone could fear me.......

sweater for class

sweater for class
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

Here is the start of my little sweater for sweater class -- I am loving the yarn (Rowan Cashsoft) so much that I may have to make myself something from it ... :)

Two posts in one day

You cannot believe the rain here - here is what the Emergency Weather bulletin had to say about it .....


* AT 755 PM EDT.NATL WEATHER SVC DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE VERY HEAVY RAIN FALLING OVER PARTS OF THE NO. & SOUTH
FORKS OF SUFFOLK COUNTY. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED
FLASH FLOODING OF NUMEROUS ROADWAYS. ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5 TO 8
INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN OVER THESE AREAS TODAY.MOSTLY IN THE
LAST 4 TO 6 HRS. ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TO
FALL THROUGH 930 PM.WITH
THE HEAVIEST EXPECTED TO FALL BETWEEN JAMESPORT & CUTCHOGUE ON
THE NO. FORK & BETWEEN HAMPTON BAYS & SOUTHAMPTON ON THE
SO. FORK. THE RAIN SHOULD BEGIN TO TAPER OFF FROM EAST TO WEST
AROUND 9 PM. UNTIL THEN.SEVERE FLASH FLOODING WILL
CONTINUE.WITH ROADS BEING WASHED OUT.

There was a house fire earlier - many lightening strikes and now the fire department is out rescuing people from cars that are stranded in puddles and evacuating people from houses that are not passable to cars - so the brush trucks will bring people out.

And I had to go out in it again LOL A fireman had picked his daughter up at the Rail Road station - and just then the house fire call came in he went to the fire house that was closest but since his truck was a stick she couldn't drive it home so DH called to see if I could bring her to her house -- Thank God I have a Tahoe - I went slow and made it ok but regular cars would have had water coming inside because the water on the roads was so high. So once again I was soaked LOL

Never a dull moment ;) And once again I am happy to live on a hill....

Do you like my new look

I was up for a change and decided today's rainy day was the day for it.

I'm still trying to dry out after shopping for Christopher's birthday present - of course I try to park a ways away from the door to try to get in some additional walking and when I went in the store there was no sign of rain -- and when I came out -- GOOD LORD the skies had opened up -- by the time I got to my car I looked like I had stood in the shower in my clothes -- I was drenched. After I got in the car I was using tissues to dry my face and my hair a bit to keep it from dripping in my face more. At least my glasses were nice and clean after all of that. I decided it wasn't worth going food shopping since it was a half hour to get home as it was and I would have looked like a refugee from a wet t-shirt contest to boot. I had the heater on full blast in the car and was still freezing by the time I got home.

Anyway I got a cute age proper soft fire truck that makes fire engine sounds if you push on the bumper (but not loud enough to be obnoxious to mom and dad) and DH will get a fire hat that is given out to kids during fire prevention week for Christopher to go with the fire truck. I sure hope he likes it and doesn't have one already.

I didn't fall of the ends of the earth....

MD Bib's O Love & Baby Genius Burp Cloths 9/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

I have been knitting my fingers to the bones. I finished these Friday and delivered them to the mom-to-be at her baby shower yesterday.

I was a little disappointed that I couldn't find the buttons I wanted but these will be easy to button and unbutton for the mom and with twins I guess that is a good idea :D

This week I get to try to figure out how to knit rocks -- I have gotten some great ideas from folks that I am going to try and I have one idea myself that may work. But first I am going to play with my socks that have been ignored for a little over a week.

Off to get a cup of coffee -- we have had two days of parties for the 125th Anniversary of the local Fire Department with fireworks at the beach on Friday and a big cocktail party last night -- in addition to the baby shower yesterday -- I am exhausted ...... but in a good way. Caffeine, must get caffeine into my system....

My new Portabella Bag

that will be coming my way next week from Martha at Green Mountain Knitting Bags --- it is a thing of beauty? I can't wait to get it in my hot little hands. It is going to be so perfect for going to knitting circle. And she was able to do the Portabella, accessory bag and circular needle case in the same material as my original carpet bag. I am such a happy camper!!

Since there is no knitting content

I thought I would make a few mouths water -- This is tonights dinner and tomorrows lunch. We will not discuss the cost ok? Or how much yarn it would have bought.

socks 2 on 2...

socks 2 on 2...
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

I scanned these socks so one is squished differently than the other -- but this is the point where I have hit the wall -- and I am so tired that the more I look at them the more confused I become -- Geeze - you know you can do this -- and after it is done you will wonder how you were so confused --

Yes, I do talk to myself a LOT!!!

Maybe I need more coffee?

Saw this on gourdongirls blog and being the coffee addict that I am I HAD to take this test - and I got the same result as she did :D

You are a Black Coffee

At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

On the sock front - I am at the part that makes me mutter -- did the heel and am picking up the stitches on the side - and since this is the first pair of socks done 2 at a time I am muttering -- I was going to say twice as much - but in reality it is more like 10 times as much. So I put it aside and will pick it up tomorrow at some point. I want to get it done before we go out to dinner tomorrow so I am past this point before knitting circle on Wed.

what happens when you don't sleep

and your size 0 needles are whipping your butt so the sock progress is going sloooow ----you do little blog quizzes.

This was fun - Jo -- notice where I should be living LOL

You Belong in Dublin

Friendly and down to earth, you want to enjoy Europe without snobbery or pretensions. You're the perfect person to go wild on a pub crawl... or enjoy a quiet bike ride through the old part of town.

What European City Do You Belong In?

God I am so tired it is a chore to breathe -- I would kill for a cup of coffee but am afraid it would make me stay awake again tonight.

fun

and I think pretty close to me....

Your Element is Water

Your power colors: blue and aqua Your energy: deep Your season: winter Like the ocean, you evoke deep feelings and passion. You have an emotional, sensitive, and spiritual soul. A bit mysterious, you tend to be quiet when you are working out a problem. You need your alone time, so that you can think and dream.

What Element Are You?

What a fun day

Well first off it has taken me 5 minutes to get Blogger to only put 2 pictures on instead of 4 of each picture so I am not going to play with the placement of the pictures or anything.

the first picture was during the talk - It is very similar to the picture on Jane's Blog because I handed her my camera and asked her to take the picture because I had heads in front of me. The Second picture is my socks Ala Yarn Harlot and her traveling sock photos.

Turns out my worry about working on my socks was for nothing - Ann was working on a sock when we got there.(Kitchenering the toe [geeze is that an actual word or did I just get on a roll with it] and trying it on when it was done. Then, later during the talk, I was reminded again that working on moody blues socks while wearing a denim blue dress is not something you should do -- so I put it down and just had a ball.

I cannot believe that there were 4 or 5 members of Knitters Review there. In our little town and at a knitting author talk - And one, Deborah, was all the way from Annapolis, MD. How fun is that. And I got to meet Kathy who I have only talked to online before.

I must must must do some of the Moss Grid hand towels from the book - I loved them in the book but in person yummmm -- I really really loved them. So I am on a search for the Euroflax needed for that.

And what fun -- when I introduced myself I said my name and then said rho1640 -- they both said at the same time "from comments" Now I will choose to believe they were happy to see me -- not that I am some crazed stalker type they can't forget hehehe

Now I took some allergy pills a little while ago and my brain seriously starting to fuzz up. So I will just finish with -- Buy the book, play with the projects - make them your own (they talked about how people were doing that on the Knit Along site and how they enjoyed it) And if you ever get a chance to go to one of their talks --- GO!!!!


And I'm sorry I couldn't figure out how to link to other blogs - I had it figured out a few days ago but tonight it just didn't want to work for me.

sock progress 2

I just started the heel flap on my socks - I am trying a few new things -how funny is that - it is all new to me LOL .... But I shortened the cuff because I kept wanting to pull up the other pair so I thought shorter might be better - and I went down a needle size for the heel and foot.

I faxed my info in for the Knitters Review Retreat - can't wait to hear if I got it in on time.

And I woke up this morning with no voice - I hope this is just a minor blip in the radar (and not a 6 month loss or the time it decides to be permanent) and it will be back tomorrow for the Mason-Dixon talk I really try not to let my lack of voice bother me when this happens but dang - I would like to talk to them and not be remembered as the one with the cross between Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop voice. Shoot..... So anyone who reads this send good voice thoughts out for me.

Plus we have a huge celebration coming up for the 125th anniversary of the Fire Department which means a big cocktail party and a beach party etc.- I HATE parties when my voice is gone - no one can hear me talk and they have trouble understanding the raspy whisper sound but you add the noise of a few hundred people in an building that bounces back all the sound and it is impossible.

And I have a baby shower earlier that same day and the workers picnic at the gun club the next day etc etc etc......damn and double damn.. Not to mention that when this happens DH has a valid reason to be wife deaf....

OK--going to think positive--my voice will be back by tonight at the latest........

edited later - voice is doing better - going in and out but maybe it will come back fully X = crossed fingers. . .

In reference to Jo's comment

I figured I should clarify some things - I don't think anything about what we had in the freezer - I've had some varied food items in there over time - caribou, moose, bear, boar, elk, venison, halibut, salmon, tuna, bass, clams, scallops, buffalo, bluefish, flounder, fluke, ducks, geese, etc. Some things I was really glad to be finished with -- like the bear -- bleech (I never found a way to cook that that I liked - no matter how much spice I used). Most things were from DH's trips or our trips or from around here like the venison, or tuna, flounder, fluke, bluefish etc. some things were gifts from friends trips - like the elk this time or the boar in the past. And some was from a friend who had an abundance like the buffalo. The salmon and halibut we got in Alaska while we were visiting friends (I got the biggest halibut on the boat that day :D ) and they also sent us home with lots of Moose (roasts, hot dogs, sausage [made the best sausage and peppers ever from this] corned moose, steaks) as you can guess one moose makes for lots of everything - lots and lots of everything LOL. Also since our friend in Alaska is a pilot if we run out of things and he has a trip down here - we exchange things like moose, halibut, salmon that he got for things like fish, venison, lobster, corn and tomatoes we have down here. Makes for lots of fun meals...

When DH gets a deer we butcher it and process it at home - we have a commercial size meat grinder to make ground venison and to make some fantastic breakfast sausage from it. We also have a commercial size sausage stuffer that we have used to make kielbasa from venison. I want to try a summer sausage recipe sometime with that too. And when friends need to use the equipment they will bring over what ever they are doing and do it here and we get a nice visit out of it. We were lucky in having friends and family living on farms who gave us their equipment when they upgraded to newer and improved models.

We used to get a half a pig yearly from an uncle who had a farm and would bring it home and process it into smaller packages or a quarter of a cow etc. We love fishing and clamming and scalloping (but this year we haven't been out at all - boo) And I love cooking for us and for friends. We also have a smoker and enjoy playing with that.

This reminded me I owe a person on Knitters Review a recipe for Wasabi Glazed Salmon - I have to dig that recipe out and go over there and find that thread to send it to her.

it's actually cool enough to wear socks

my socks -- I am a happy camper today - I have a list a mile long but all I want to do is sit and knit on my socks today -- maybe I will use some flylady ideas and work 15 min then knit for a while (well, I'm being honest - it will be longer than the 15 minutes so why even say knit for 15 minutes) If I get six 15 minute projects in I will be thrilled.

Saw this on another blog and thought it was fun so.....

Bold the ones you have done:

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it (Daily!)
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights (this is on my list - in a friends hot tub with a drink preferably)
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg (a glacier but not an iceberg)
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland -
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cd's
57. Pretended to be a superhero (hey it doesn't specify age)
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage (found out I much prefer behind the scenes things)
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one of your parents (both actually)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an illness that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (working on it - it is a final goal)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone (or 10)
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol (all 3 plus archery)
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi (doesn't say you have to like it)
128. Had your picture in the newspaper (a few times - once as an expert how funny is that)
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language (pretty much daily)
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you (hope dh doesn't see this he will want me to get back to it - had a person who collected deKooning who wanted first refusal on my stuff)
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life


surprisingly there are only a few more things on there I haven't done that I would like to do ....

It has been one of THOSE weeks

everything from my previous post - added to a call to check on MIL who had no clue who I was - which was ok because she was calm and not raging or scared - and her caregiver didn't say there was any problems. Just upsetting .....

And last night I went to put something in the chest freezer in the basement (and the light was on on the freezer showing it was and had been working) .... you can all tell where this is going can't you.... YEP -- The freezer died - I guess during the brown outs we have had because of the heat wave (the compressor must have died since the light is still on)

At the time I was trying to get hubby off on his trip - he tried reaching into the freezer and the stitches in his leg started pulling - plus I was afraid he would drip yucky decay juice on his leg - so I sent out an emergency call to a friend who came over today and emptied the stinky mess and then I put a call in to the garbage company to pick up the containers - hopefully I will hear from them soon or I will have to figure a way to keep cats and racoons out of it tonight ... Well on my second call I had to play helpless woman to get the garbage company to come today instead of tomorrow - but it worked -- sometimes it is handy to be able to do that even when it isn't a part of your normal make-up....

One good thing-- thank God for foodsaver vacuum sealers -- the only things that had made the stink were 2 packages of stew meat and a boneless leg of lamb that weren't in foodsaver bags and the turkey and chickens that were in the bags they come in -- it could have been worse. So it is cleaned out -- Bleach poured into it and fans on in the basement to dissipate the odor and evaporate the bleach. And I am not going to cry over the lovely tuna and salmon and halibut and elk that are lost now - ---

Next week is Mason Dixon talk at the Historical Museum and I can't wait - things will be better because this was the 3rd thing right?? :D

2 socks on 2 circulars 8/8/06

2 socks on 2 circulars 8/8/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

My first attempt at this - I decided yesterday when my hands were sore from IVs (one hand had it and the other was a botched job) that I couldn't continue the Knit 2 Purl 2 cuff so I did about 10 more rows and now I am doing straight knitting for the rest of the cuffs.

Can we see a theme here with all the blue - yep it is my favorite color. The bag is a Green Mountain Knitting Bag -- isn't it beautiful.

Argh - just got a phone call from the fire department DH cut his leg on a hose coupling during a drill and is at the hospital getting stitches -- I told him not to go to the drill tonight and to work on the new pad he is putting on his gun for the big shoot he is scheduled to go to this weekend in Rhode Island - Now to see how bad it is. . . .

Men really should learn to listen to their wives shouldn't they?? LOL

Just got back - he has about 10 -12 stitches - the coupling wasn't on tight and when they charged the line it blew off and caught his shin - the area where there isn't any meat to hold it together. I think he will be a hurting puppy when the numbing wears off ....

From March

view from my front door
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

do you feel any cooler??

How does anyone even

think about knitting now - I can't even pick up my yarn to ball it up to cast on some socks-- It's 10 pm and and my house is still over 90 degrees I have 3 fans on me and spritzing myself with water and drinking so much water I should float -- We went shopping today and it was 101 without the heat index -- AND THEY SAY TOMORROW WILL BE WORSE ............ I'm melting, I'm melting --

water bottle cozy

water bottle cozy
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

from the sock that didn't want to be -- I have to figure out a different way to do the little tie at the top but it works great - the other day it was about a gazillion degrees the water stayed cool far longer than I thought it would ...... hey - at a gazillion degrees you take what you can get -- I can't wait for cold rainy days......

The sock that wouldn't behave

-- even after I explained that LeeAnn (of fuzzy logic knits ) didn't need anymore bad luck magnets- is now becoming a cozy for my water bottle -- even at Knitting Circle today it continued to act up and I decided maybe it didn't really want to be a sock. So, as soon as this cozy is done, I am casting on some wonderful Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn and will make the most super socks ever. . . . just wait till you see them - - to make these super socks I got the best CTH Foxy Lady colorway from Hampton Knitting Yarn

In fact I kind of went crazy on the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn from there - so you will be seeing lots of fantastic socks from there. Hmmm maybe instead of foxy lady I will use African Grey or Peacock or even Serengeti - oh choices, choices...

my can cozy 7/22/06

my can cozy 7/22/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

looks familiar doesn't it .... yep it was from leftover yarn from my socks. It has been so hot here that as soon as you take a can out or water out it immediately starts dripping and warming up so I decided it was time to try to make a can cozy. It is working great....

Do you think my troublesome new sock has learned it's lesson and can come out of it's time out bag yet? I hope I can start working on it again tomorrow - I would love to have these new slouchy socks to wear for my colonoscopy in a couple of weeks...at least my toes will be covered even though most everything else will not be.

first socks 7/06

first socks 7/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

Well I finally finished them and figured it was about time to put the picture up. I am pretty happy with them - I know that each pair will get better as I get used to techniques and learn some tricks to not get tiny holes when you pick up stitches. But I really wonder if I will ever learn the grafting thing for the toe - I sit with a diagram and chant the chant and still I have to figure what I am doing for each stitch.

On the sheeple picture

I think it is by a Photographer named Spencer Tunick - who specializes in nudes - large groups of them, usually in public places. He has done them all over the world - I saw a documentary on him once and it was very interesting - so if it isn't his picture it is in his style big time....

Also hopefully I will have a picture of my finished first pair of socks tomorrow... long time no knitting posts....

My first sock

ignore the pale white leg and admire the sock. I frogged the toe and re-did it because the first toe was shaped like _| |_ now it is more like | \ which is more like my foot as I have a really long toes.

Anyway for a first sock I am pretty pleased with it although I already know some changes I will make to the next pair. I think by pair 4 or 5 I should have figured out what I like.

sock progress

Well, I am up to the toe on my first sock and my toe class is Wed. so I put that sock on some smaller needles (since I don't have any stitch keepers yet) and started another pair on the longer needles - What a difference in the yarns - the Regia Strato Color is very splitty to me.

It is a little hard to see the second little cuff so I put it on the pillow because when it was on the chair it just about disappeared -- The colors are off a bit the chair is a darker blue and the little pillow is navy blue and the new sock cuff is deep gray, light gray, beige - I think it was the flash bleaching the colors out a bit.

Socks may be my summer knitting since you can knit without having anything draping over your lap - that will be grand in 90 degree weather with 80% humidity and no air conditioning. So by fall maybe I will have a nice sock wardrobe!

My First Sock

This is the night of my class before I made my mistake of purling away for a whole row -- and to think I used to hate purling.....










sorry this second picture is so dark - nothing seems to be working for me today --- this is today after I tinked back 12 rows and redid them. Also Sorry about the bright flash in the computer screen but it was the only place I could put the sock cuff as my house is in major disarray - more than usual that is. Cleaning and moving and rearranging for the new chair delivery on Tuesday and smoking a dozen blue fish for the fire department clam bake next week - so no kitchen counter space free yet and no space in the living room free.

shawl that has to be done tomorrow afternoon.

shawl that has to be done tomorrow afternoon.
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

am I NUTS!!!! I had 2 full pattern repeats done last night and decided it wasn't long enough so frogged the whole thing and started new. This is for my MIL's 90th birthday tomorrow......

my first warshcloth from MD book

my first warshcloth from MD book
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

I finally got my brain around the directions for this -- it wasn't the book that was wrong - it was my trying to translate the directions to my knitting. I knit Continental and purl Norwegian so I had to make it a picture in my brain to understand what would work. There are a few mistakes in it but nothing major - in other words it will be a grand wash cloth.

Sarah Blanch Shawl 5/06

Sarah Blanch Shawl 5/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

I am the worst photographer - if I keep knitting and blogging (I don't see that I will ever give up knitting) I have to take a class in making artistic show-off pictures.

But I would make the next one I do a little longer and also a little wider but I have to say this feels like a dream.

I had it on while checking mail and reading blogs and decided to join 9 inches on each side and made this a very expensive shrug. I think I will get more joy of this particular item this way. Our house is chilly and it stays over my arms better this way when I am reading or on the computer or just sitting watching tv. And if I decide I want to change it I can just take out the stitches - no big deal.

I LOVE love love the way this feels - it is Cherry Tree Hill Tropical Storm Silk & Merino dk

Rain Rain Go Away

It has rained so much today - everything is flooded -- this is a time I am so happy that I live on a hill. A giggle today - DH had run into the post office and I was knitting in the car and a guy came out of the laundromat across the street and ran across to his car and opened the hatch of his car to put his laundry in - I fully expected that he would close the hatch and go to the drivers seat and get in to drive away -- but he jumped into the car in the hatch and closed it and crawled over the seats to the front seat and drove away -- now does that tell you how hard it was raining LOL

What I did on my vacation...

these are pictures from the Ward Foundation World Decoy Carving Championship - the first one is by a friend of ours and he won second place in Masters Class with it




the next two I just love - the painting on it is beautiful isn't it - sorry I don't know who did it though and the third was for a friend in AZ just because of the cactus (and of course because we loved it enough to take a picture of it)

I also got quite a bit of knitting done - including casting on and doing about 3/4 of my Sarah Blanch Shawl) while I was sitting around when DH was at various sporting clay ranges. The shawl should be finished today and if we EVER get sun again I will take a picture of it and post it -- it has rained all week and today by 9am we had over an inch and a half of rain with over 5 predicted for today and tomorrow - moldy moldy me....

I emailed the woman that made up the jacket pattern at both her home and work addy and either she doesn't check her email or she really really didn't like my sweater and wants no association with it. I am choosing to believe the first option. (oh, how I wish I could put an ironic smiley here) But I can't give out her pattern or send you to her for it until I hear from her - sorry to all who asked about it.

a nightmare for me

Anyone that knows me knows I hate being the center of attention - my wedding was torture for me (I tried to run out of the church but DH kept pulling me back saying enjoy this -- what, was he crazy?) - well today may have been right up there with that moment. At knitting circle there was a journalist from the local newspaper doing an article on the knitting circle.....guess who had to have her picture taken in her new sweater because everyone loves it --- if you guessed me you were Right!! Now for the next week I have to hope she picked other pictures to use other than that one for the article.... ACK double ACCKKKK!!!

I forgot to mention that I was working in my back room all day (the room that is slated to become my knitting sanctuary/guest room) and forgot the time so I did a quick spritz clean-up and changed clothes ran a brush thru my hair so I looked worse than I usually do LOL isn't that the way things work out.

So I am praying that the article uses any of the other pictures she took -- any of them at all even if I am in it in amongst the others heheh

To everyone that has asked

where I got the pattern for my sweater -- I wrote to the woman who made it up and hopefully will hear from her by the time I get back from vacation (will be back Tuesday) and I can tell you all where to get the pattern.

Off to pack.... VACATION isn't that a wonderful word (even when you are retired)

My sleeve is fixed

Thanks to a very patient and super knitting friend my sleeve is fixed - I went to show her the sweater and to buy some more yarn for a new project and was showing her my too tight sleeve - she asked if it would bother me every time I wore the sweater - Wellll .....while it fit and wasn't tight tight (it just wasn't as loose as the other sleeve) it would make itself known to me each time I put it on and I would probably mutter to myself about it... So while we sat and chatted she took out the binding off part and picked back the join a bit and put the loose stitches on a piece of yarn for me...

I came home and within 15 minutes put it on larger needles and bound it off loosely and joined it all back together -- TAH DAH no more muttering to myself (well at least not about a tight sleeve)

Thank you Kathleen - I never ever would have done that and it made SUCH a difference.

Just a note --- if this is more difficult to read or make sense of than it normally is - it is because I haven't slept in 29 hours and I am a just a tad tired......

Ok Here it is!!

Warning, warning, Danger Will Robinson----

I take the worst pictures and as you can see DH isn't much better. My shirt under the sweater should have been smoothed out -- I should try to stand non-lopsided (my shoulder drops on the side I broke and I never realized just how much) And now you all will know just how super sized I am and that when I say I am whiter than white I really, really mean it! That really is the color of my hair and skin.




The sleeves are a bit long - and I bound off the sleeve on the right side nice and tight (something I will not do again) so that one is not stretchy at all. But other than that I don't think it is too bad for a first try.

The knitting is DONE!!

Will try to get a picture tomorrow before I start joining it together.....ACK!!!!!!

Thanks everyone

I did get some rows done last night as DH was snoring so loud I couldn't sleep (along with doing a jumping bean impression - because of his walking alot at the range yesterday) So from 1am to 3am I worked on the sleeve - I have about 76 more rows to go (if I did the math right). So after the obligatory brunch with family I WILL finish this today -- then I will need a push to do the sewing together.

So who is brilliant?

and can tell me why I am going so slowly on the sleeve of my sweater - personally I think I am afraid to finish it - then I have to join it all and try it on to see if it fits. This sleeve is taking longer than the whole sweater did I swear - and it isn't hard it is just decreasing after knitting so many rows. Geeze - what a whimp!

Progress!!

Maybe not as much as I hope for this weekend but I am getting there -- Just have about 2 inches more of this part of the sleeve then I start the decreases and it will go pretty fast.

Sorry it isn't perfectly straight on the blanket but dang it was cold out there without a coat (and no it never crossed my mind to go in to get a coat so I could position it just so) ;p

No picture today

It has been pouring all day and I need to do this outside at this point - there is a LOT of material to lay out now. We picked out our horseradish roots today so will be doing that soon Probably Monday. Hopefully it will be really nice outside that day so we can do all the grinding out there and have less tears at least.

A Post a Post!!!!

Can you believe I am actually making a post. Tomorrow or the next day I will have a picture to add of my sweater with the sleeve done. I just decreased to start the sleeve today.

Now, why haven't I had anything to say lately? Well, I'm still fighting this bug and the last part was another bout of Pink Eye and I was just plain disgusted and didn't want to air and expand on that disgust -- now it seems to be getting better so I am happier :D

Tomorrow is a trip to pick ups fresh horseradish roots to make horseradish for Easter - So there will be LOTS of tears in our house over the next couple of days. But it is one of those things that is so worthwhile because the horseradish is so much better than what you can buy.

sweater sleeve, back and left front

sweater sleeve, back and left front
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

First section done - now I cast on for second part - the wavy part is the back where I will continue after doing a bunch of inches for the right front -- can you believe how brown my lawn is? It just goes to show that growing season hasn't begun in NY yet. And this is adjusted a bit to make the colors look a bit better as the sun was bleaching things out a LOT.

Problems with photos

Everyone is reporting problems uploading pictures lately - I just don't have any pictures to upload - I hope by the end of the week I will have some significant changes to show for my efforts.

My BIG news -- like doing this sweater isn't enough - I ordered sock yarn - not one, not two but 3 different yarns. I have never done a sock before and I order 3 yarns??? My thinking is (convoluted as usual) the first sock I will hate - because I will have to get used to using all those needles (those very small needles) The second I will feel a bit better about because it is starting to feel a bit more normal using all those needles and by the 3rd sock I will have decided if I like doing them and will continue or if I hate doing socks. And I haven't done any socks yet but I have decided I like mismatched socks - not going to stress about being sure that each one is exactly the same as the other LOL

Should get lots of inches done today

going with DH to a saltwater fishing show (his buddies that were to go with him - one is a new grandad yesterday and the other went skiing - forgot what weekend it was when he made reservations) so I will be sitting in the car all day. I am still too sick to actually go but I know DH was really looking forward to this and it is a bit of a drive that seems a LOT longer if you are alone. So I will bring my knitting some books, my iPod, a pillow and a blanket - and after I take my meds I know I will sleep. What fun - but it should be worth some stash in the future right??? Well at least some stash without too much complaints.....

Today I did

one more inch on my sweater -- only 5 more to go until the next set of instructions. I have to admit it is interesting knitting with the cough meds and occasional sips of my moms old recipe for cough meds. (which I asked the doctor if it was ok to mix and he said it was ok) Mom's old recipe - whiskey, honey, and lemon - sip on as needed. :D Not sure if it actually helps the cough or if you just sip enough that you really don't care that you are coughing hard enough to break ribs. . . .

Sweater sleeve and beginning of drop shoulder and front and back

sweater sleeve and beginning of drop shoulder and front and back
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

17 inches of sleeve and start of drop part of sleeve and part of front and back have to make 11 inches from where the increase was before going to the next direction. That is still about 6 more inches of knitting and knitting and knitting......

Of course standing on the waterbed with the camera held above my head I managed to catch a bit of the blue coverlet that goes over the blankets that I had pushed back. And if I try to crop it out I lose part of the sweater - so as you can guess my bedroom is blue and white :D

Tomorrow I will try

to find a place I can lay out my sweater so show where I am - and add enough cord to the denise needle that I can stretch it out all the way.

Whine mode -- had to go to the doctor again - I went downhill over the weekend and am pretty ill again. Trying a new antibiotic and using the narcotic cough med again. And I want to know WHAT the heck the doctor wrote in the file that caused the nurse who gave me shots to run out into the waiting room when I was trying to pay - and ask if it was ok to listen to my chest there - she "just wanted to hear something" I don't feel wheezy but I guess things are rattling around in there. I got a flu shot this year and have been sick since Jan. I always get bronchitis after the holidays but I can't shake this - so next year I think I will forgo the flu shot - Without it I got the flu and I got bronchitis but I lost it quicker than this.

Whine mode off -- check in tomorrow to view the sweater progress!!!

sleeve at 16"

sleeve at 16"
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

I sure wish I could get the colors closer to what they are in reality - I played with it for about a half hour to get it this close and it really isn't. I have one more inch then I have to cast on 80 stitches at the end of each of the next two rows!! Maybe a cup of coffee will help. At least I have knitting circle tonight so maybe someone can help me there. And I will ask for help on KR. I need to find out what type of cast on to use then look it up on my EZ DVD to learn how to do it. Boy I will have learned a lot by the time I finish this.

Ok, Breathe deeply - again- and again --- you can do this - don't get flustered.... one stitch at a time. and before you know it you WILL be wearing this. And it is always an option to frog it if you hate it when it is done, right? And if that happens you can reknit it and fix whatever you didn't like.

5 things in my fridge

Thanks Trish -- hmmmm

1) OJ (with lots of pulp) to mix supplements in and drink after downing a spoonful of Cod liver oil
2) Cod Liver Oil
3) Three containers of beef broth cooling to go into freezer for soup base
4) short ribs in a bar-b-que type of sauce (where the beef broth came from - simmer them for 1 1/2 hrs before they go into the sauce)
5) Hmmm What do most people call them --- long clams?? -- a friend (a bayman) dropped off a mess of fryers for tomorrow nights dinner - (fried clams--- yummmmm) btw they are called piss clams here. And if you know the clams you know why they have that name :D

and I can't think of anyone who hasn't done this yet - other than me -- any volunteers????

The Sweater I am making

Sweater I am making
Originally uploaded by rho1640.

This is the sweater I am hoping to make - Well I am going to make - I just hope it looks like this when I am done.

I realize the colors will be different and that my colorway won't stripe like that - but it is the shape I love -- wish me luck!!!

Later today I will show how much I got done on my first sleeve. (2am is not the time to be taking photos LOL)

Oh and both sleeves are actually the same length.. :D

The view from my Front Door

showing our hedge that is in desperate need of trimming too. One of the few spots in the village that still has a field across from it. I can't begin to imagine what that piece of property is worth. When you consider that this house (in the next picture) sold for $850,000 BEFORE they did at least that amount of work on it to make it look like this (and it is a tiny tiny house and property- about the same size as our house and property) This house is just off to the right of the field you see in the first picture (this picture was taken a couple of months ago - which is why there is no snow there - really there is no Bermuda Triangle thing working here where snow is all over but not in their yard)

I am so envious of everyone who has such fabulous writing abilities in showing their front and back yards - I really stink compared to you all....

And now to my sweater swatch

pre-swimming it. I cannot get the colors to be true but this is as close as I managed to get it after many tries. I am still excited and terrified to begin - so today I WILL begin this just to get past the terrified part.

In fact yesterday rather than start my sweater I did an 8x8 square to be sent off to be part of a blanket. Still have to block that today and hopefully it will go in the mail tomorrow. Oh, what I will do to put off beginning THE sweater......

Gold Medal !!!

isn't it pretty!!

Now to figure how to put the little one on the sidebar ....

what fun!!

Thank You Stephanie (Yarn Harlot) and team!

My finished felted bag (Olympic Knitting Project)

So here it is done and dried -- I love it - I made a mistake but nothing I can't live with for a first bag (besides I can't change it now LOL) And it isn't totally noticeable unless you look close.

So does anyone know how to get your gold medal for completing the project??

LaLaLaLaLa -- My bag is done!!!

and drying -- I went to take a picture and the battery on the camera is dead so charging it up now. I see couple of mistakes but nothing I can't live with -- one is one handle is on the other side of the edge (you can see it in the second picture I think Yikes! )And I can see one place I changed color - it has a little bump in it But I am still thrilled with my first bag ever !!!! And I will probably wear it out using it because it is my FIRST - did I do the happy song Lalalalalalaaaaa!!!

ok got my camera charged enough to take these -

My plans for the rest of this week

Thanks Trish - I am taking your advice - My plans for the rest of this week -- on my way to the dentist today I will be picking up the pillow case to felt my bag and finish my Olympic project, also going to look at the Lane chairs on sale for our living room while picking up the pillow case (same store)- then I have one meeting on Thursday and other than that I am resting!!! Well, I may look at some yarn while I am at the pillow case/chair store. This store has all of that and more in it. They say they are the first department store in America - and I wouldn't doubt it. But it wouldn't do to be resting and not have anything to knit at all would it?

I may work on a hat or try to come up with some arm warmer sleeves. I was thinking that they would be great for this time of life - I can be freezing and in need of long sleeves then WHAM a hot flash hits and I could whip the sleeves off and be cooler and when it passed I could put the sleeves back on -- much easier than taking a sweater on and off each time it happens. :D

UGH

well I got all the cooking done by 1 am last night waited for cake to cool off and dishwasher to stop and went to bed. Got up ironed my clothes got things ready to go and just couldn't do it - I felt awful (maybe I should make that AWFUL!!!!) So DH brought the food with him and I went to the doctor. Ended up with a breathing treatment there (nebulizer?) and a script for 2 different inhalers and orders that if I don't feel better in 3 or 4 days to come back. I sooo don't do doctors - I feel like an imposter when I go in and it isn't something visible like broken bones. Does this tell you just how bad I was feeling.

BTW anyone know how to bring body temperatures up?? I know to take aspirin to bring it down but what the heck do you do to bring it up?? Before I went to doctors it was 95.7 F. at doctors it had gone up to 96.2 F.

I will pick up my pillowcase tomorrow so I can felt my bag.

I was going to say tomorrow I promise will be better but I have to go to dentist for a filling that fell out -- how good can that be LOL

Still haven't felted the bag

but not so much because of fear as no time -- have spent the last 2 days cooking for a funeral tomorrow. Do you have any idea how much carrot salad you can make out of two of the BIG bags of carrots and how many beans it takes to make a full pot of baked beans. Still have two coffee cakes to do tonight. Guess it is a good thing that I work best at night HUH? Plus I have to clean up my kitchen and load the dishwasher AGAIN before I can start the cakes.

Then tomorrow will be kitchen duty at the wake. But I will take the time to stop and get my pillowcase so I can get the bag felted on Tuesday!!!

Olympic Project -not felted yet

Tomorrow I have to get a zippered pillowcase cover to felt this in - then my Olympic Project will be finished!! I have to say I learned a lot doing this - using big needles, picking up stitches and going from a flat piece to a circular, changing colors, slip a stitch to make a corner, icord - and enjoyed every part of it.

So why am I so nervous about how it will come out after felting -- I really mean it - I could put off doing it just to avoid that part of the project and seeing if I did ok or not LOL Oh, the joys of being a new knitter....

ps -- felt is one of those words that after typing it a few times looks like it is wrong... ;D

Time for an update

Well it has been a long time since I posted here - but I have had a bad bout with bronchitis and then an inner ear thing that meant I bounced off walls and if I moved my head it took a few minutes for the world to stop spinning.

Looks like my Olympic project will be a small bag - when I was able to ball up the yarn I got to wondering if it was enough to do the large bag that I had ordered for. So I went back to the page where I ordered from and no matter which size I put in for the yarn calculation it came up with 5 balls of each color yarn. Now if it were single yarn knitting I would think it would work but doubling up on it I just can't see how it will make it to the large size bag. Of course since I have never done this I could be completely wrong.

So it will still be a challenge as everything that was new to me in the pattern still is - I just don't have as long to do each thing to get used to doing it now.

Well off to help DH split wood - we are under a Blizzard watch and our woodpile is pretty low - want to have plenty in so if power goes out I can knit, read (by daylight or hurricane lanterns) and cook spaghetti and meatballs and/or beef stew on the woodstove. Of course, if the power doesn't go out I will do all of that just not by light of hurricane lanterns - and watching Olympic coverage on TV.

I'm in the Olympics

well the Yarn Harlot Olympics -- going to do the Farmers' Market Tote from Knit Picks (by Dennis Lorimor for Knit Picks) see picture below of their finished product.



in Extra Large. It will be a challenge for me for sure - but I ordered the yarn for it awhile ago and it came in and has sitting in the back room waiting for me to work up the nerve to do it. There are a few things in the pattern I am not totally clear on (picking up stitches and slipping the first and last stitch of the round on the short side -- and it goes on from there) But I will figure this out and have another tote (I have this obsession for totes [and storage chests - but that is another story]) you just can't have too many totes (or storage chests) can you?

So now I will go and try to figure how to put the Olympic banners in my sidebar.