Sunday, October 28, 2007

Camera Fixed!

And here are some pictures - first off my new pet - My Ashford Joy being modeled in what is apparently my modeling chair - this is the wheel that Jane helped me pick out and pick up - Thanks :D
Isn't she pretty..... Second up is some of my spinning of some wonderful blue that Jane picked for me at Rhinebeck and surprised me with - she knows my color for sure doesn't she? - Can I say thank you again -- it actually makes me look pretty good for a brand new spinner - 2 weeks today
and another picture from a different angle - trying to get the light better so you can see - but I am sooo not a photographer...
but you get the idea ---

so be nice - remember I am new at this -

Saturday, October 27, 2007

A short note

to mention that I just got a new charger for my camera battery - batteries are charging so maybe by tomorrow I will have pictures of my new wheel up :D

I was going to order a new camera for me but then I decided to look and see if I could get a charger all by itself ..... and they had it -- not only that but it is a better charger because it plugs directly into the outlet AND has an adapter to use to charge it in the car .... much cheaper solution that leaves it open for me to buy more fiber at the retreat --- happy dancing ***

Friday, October 19, 2007

what happens when there is nothing to post

you do a quiz!




You're Watership Down!

by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.



Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.



still feeling blechy, no camera for pictures so this is what you get ;)

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

For anyone who doesn't know already ....

I got a spinning wheel - well I tried to upload a picture but blogger isn't letting me do it right now - they say they are aware of the problem -- sooo just plug in Ashford Joy Double Treadle into Google and you will see what she looks like. And since I still don't have a working camera that is most likely the picture I was going to use so you are seeing what you would see here. If it lets me later I will post the picture from the Ashford site ....

Jane is the best friend and enabler ever - she even drove me to the store :D

ok - since I have the creeping crud I am going back to bed....

Wednesday, October 03, 2007

I really really hate to admit it but . . .

the trellis shawl kicked my butt... I gave up on it for now - after ripping it out 14 times I figure it was trying to tell me something. Something like don't do me now!!!!

So I am not using that yarn to make a simple seed stitch which also seems to be giving me a problem - I think I have to put some of the blame on the fibro flare I am in and the fibro fog I seem to be in the mist of. Hopefully tomorrow when I pick up my shawl I will see where I goofed and be able to fix it easily - instead of ripping it out again.... It is so sad it is funny at this point I swear.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Wouldn't we all like to say ....

we had a teeny tiny bit of influence in helping someone get their dream - I know I would - so here is a request from a knitter friend of mine - I voted and I think she deserves the chance to get her book read by a publishing company. It is a fun read and I just know that the "junk" in the cottage is so much more and want to read the whole story to find out what it is. Plus it looks like the romance part of the story will be fun too! So here is the information......


My knitting-romance-writing friend Rachael
has an urgent plea which I have pasted below. Please make her LIFE for her by voting for her, and if you enjoy it, please pass this email along!



You are voting on

Love Spun - The Second Chapter
by Rachael Herron

click on the last star (#10) and as I remember I think I hit enter after that to vote.


**************
Hi there.

Please forgive the mass mailing -- I have a favor to ask.

I'm in a competition you may have already heard about. I wrote a book, a romance, full of yarn and alpacas and sheep and hot knitter-on-shepherd action (no, really). I entered it in Gather.com's First Romance Competition. I posted the first chapter, and it garnered enough votes to move on to the second round (in the top 25 of more than 300), so I'm thrilled to say that I'm a finalist, with people now voting on the second chapter. It's kind of an American Idol type of thing, if you can imagine, and this second round is still vote-driven, and the the most important thing to know is that if I end up in the top three, with the most votes, I move on to the last round where THE WHOLE NOVEL IS READ BY SIMON & SCHUSTER and their favorite is published. Oh, my god. I would like that. I would love that.

So I need your vote. I *really* need your vote. I'm in the top four right now, and the three people ahead of me have LOTS of friends. I need to be in the top three to move on, and you will make ALL the difference.

Here's what you do: Read chapter one, but don't vote on it. That one is nice and content and voted on as it is. Please ignore the typos. They hurt my soul, but they're there.

Then read chapter two and please DO vote. If you like the chapter at all, please give it a 10, as they only count 10s (they throw out all votes of 1-9). The chapters with the most 10-votes win.

Even though I know you want to, don't vote more than once, since they're watching for IP fraud. And you DO have to register with their site in order to vote, but they won't spam you, and they don't share or sell email addresses. They will send you a daily email which you can easily opt out of.

Oh, please, please? And will you forward this note on if you like the chapter? To all YOUR email contacts?

Thanks so much. Here you go:

Don't vote on chapter one:(just to read so you know the story)

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977094360


DO VOTE on chapter two: click on link here .....


http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977126255

All my thanks. Really, ALL my thanks. It means so much. Whoo-hooo!

xo
Rachael

This is rho again ----
OK so off you go to vote - right?!?

thanks

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Still no pictures BUT

that is a good thing since I ripped my shawl out AGAIN!! I tried to rip it back to where there was a mistake - and pick up the stitches but I couldn't pick up the stitches. So it has been started again for what the 13th or 14th time -- it sure is a good thing I am stubborn isn't it? This time I am going to do it on my new Harmony Knit Pick needles and use the hole in it to try to do a life line every so often so I don't do this ever again .....

And today is our 29th Anniversary - I think I saw the hubster for about an hour today that he was awake in - the guys (we had company) got up and went fishing early this morning and got home in time to pack their car and make it to the ferry. So hopefully we will celebrate later in the week - but not tomorrow Rich is on a dinner committee for Tuesday night and will be shopping an preparing food for that - and of course not Tuesday night because of his dinner and not Wed. night another meeting - - maybe next Friday ;)

But it was a fun long weekend with the company - lots of laughs and none were at my expense LOL And while I am no where near as tired as the guys are I am tired too .... so off to read for a bit then to bed.

BTW - I have the sorest hand ever - in my frustration with my shawl I decided to just knit - and made 5 swiffer covers to use in place of the store bought ones. . . I even put Ben Gay on my thumb joint it is so sore.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Perseverance

or just plain stubbornness - pays off - and it seems for me that 10 times is the charmed number for beginning a project. I started the second ball of yarn tonight -- and I am a very happy camper - I may actually have this done before the Knitters Review Retreat. YIPPEE!!

Second piece of good news - if you scroll to the end of my blog you will see that I have been doing Weight Watchers ----- as as of this morning I am down 15.4 lbs. Many many more to to (in fact a whole adult person) but I am looking at this as a two year project and then a lifelong program so I will make it - sloooowwwly (because after all what do I do that isn't slow anyway) and somewhat patiently. I am doing it in little 5 lb increments because if I tried to look at the whole number it would scare me to death. But I can't wait to hit that 20 lb mark - then it seems that you are really on the way and really serious in your determination. So at every 5 lb mark you all will hear me shouting with glee and you will see the little ticker go up in amount lost.

Monday, September 03, 2007

I seriously suck as a knitter

I haven't blogged because I seriously suck as a knitter - I can't even manage a simple 4 line pattern that makes a trellis pattern - I have frogged my shawl 6 times (yep you read that right SIX times) I was originally doing it with navy cashsoft and red kidsilk haze but after 4 times frogging it I decided to do away with the kidsilk - it is easier to see where I have gone wrong without it - and I really didn't like the purpley color it turned into - I swear when I finally finish this I will never ever take it off. Geeze I am such a loser... but I am going to master this sucker - even though I may still be working on it at the retreat at the rate I am going.

The idea that I am going to be taking a lace class and a color class at the retreat is absolutely terrifying me right now - if I can't do this - can I do anything at all. ARRGGHH!!

So now you all know what a total dweeb I am - can I be anymore pathetic..... K2tog yo or yo ssk -- how hard can it be?!?! I am even counting every row and still making mistakes ......

Sunday, August 12, 2007

I won this :D


P1010001.JPG
Originally uploaded by rho1640
over at Jo's Celtic Memory Yarn -- isn't it beautiful - I went to a friends house on the canal to use their mailbox for this picture --of Rho's Periwinkle Cove yarn......which will make the most beautiful pair of socks ever - won't it? I wish I could say the same about my picture taking abilities - this was the best of the bunch - sad isn't it?

Best get off and and start cleaning again - we have company coming for awhile (don't really know how long) tomorrow - and I have been working on getting the spare room habitable. The rest of the house still sucks but he will have a place to sleep at least - I swear someday I will get my life in some sort of order....

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

my socks




Well a really really bad picture of my socks - I need a Richard in my life Jo (my Richard doesn't take pictures :D) but I guess you get the idea and you get to see a shadow of my head and house as a bonus.

I haven't worked on anything for the last week - between heat, Harry Potter, and a lousy trip to NYC yesterday 3 hours in and 4 hours out (a trip that normally takes 2 hours -- with no rain and flooding) We literally went less than 10 miles in 2 hours on the way home . . . ugh.

Oh - and they are cutting the dead trees down in front of my house - so we now have no trees in front of my house - but at least they figured out why the trees died -- a gas leak -- so now we have to get the village to call the gas company to find where the leak is since it apparently is in addition to the one they fixed in the winter.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Night Owl 2am post

This list was published by a contributor on the Fybromyalgia Association UK forum boards. It's a compilation of the symptoms of FMS.

I actually stole this from a friends blog (thanks Gill) because I thought it was so good. I have other friends who come here that I know have Fibro and I thought they would be interested...but also I think it is good for people who don't have Fibro to see. In no way is this a woe is me post - I just thought it was illuminating and I do have to admit that even having had Fibro for over 25 years I thought "DANG" when I checked off what was currently going on in my body - and that was without even checking off what I have had issues with in the past. It is also a good reminder to me that not everything I have going on now is menopause or age related - that I have been feeling a lot of them for decades and have just started calling it age related. Which in a weird way makes me feel better ;) I'm not getting old and this is nothing new to me.


PHYSIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS:
__ recurrent flu-like illness
__ recurrent sore throats, red and injected
__ painful lymph nodes under the arms and neck
__ muscle and joint aches with tender and trigger points - up to 18 of them
__ night sweats and fever
__ severe nasal and other allergies
__ irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
__ weight change - usually gain
__ heart palpitations
__ mitral valve prolapse
__ severe PMS
__ yeast infections
__ rashes and itching
__ uncomfortable or frequent urination
__ interstitial bladder cystitis
__ chest pains (non-cardiac)
__ temporomandibular joint dysfunction (in the jaw)
__ hair loss
__ carpal tunnel syndrome
__ cold hands and feet
__ dry eyes and mouth
__ severe and debilitating fatigue
__ widespread pain
__ other chronic illness(es) usually present (like diabetes, hypoglycemia, asthma, lupus, ms, etc.)
__ numbness in the limbs, not painful like pins & needles
__ painful swelling in the hands, legs, feet, neck
__ GERDs (gastro-esophageal reflux disorder)
__ “growing pains” start in childhood and teens, continue into adulthood
__ widespread body pain during/after physical exertion

COGNITIVE FUNCTION PROBLEMS:
__ attention deficit disorder
__ spatial disorientation
__ calculation difficulties
__ memory disturbance
__ communication difficulties (problems speaking, confusing words)

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS:
__ depression
__ anxiety and panic attacks
__ personality changes, usually for the worse
__ emotional lability (mood swings)

OTHER NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEMS:
__ sleep disturbances
__ headaches
__ changes in visual acuity
__ numb or tingling feelings
__ burning sensations
__ light headedness
__ feeling 'spaced out'
__ desequilibrium
__ frequent unusual nightmares and disturbing dreams
__ tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
__ difficulty in moving your tongue to speak
__ severe muscle weakness
__ susceptibility to muscle, tendon, ligament injury
__ intolerance to bright lights
__ intolerance to alcohol
__ intolerance to sound
__ extreme sensitivity to medications and their side-effects
__ alteration of taste, smell, and hearing
__ insomnia
__ inability to achieve stage 4 restorative sleep
__ morning stiffness in the muscles and joints
__ restless leg syndrome
__ muscle spasms
__ muscle quakiness and shivering during/after activity or exercise
__ sleep paralysis (related to stage 4 sleep deprivation)


oh and for knitting content I almost have one 4th of July sock done working on toe decreases and have to try to remember the Kitchener (did I spell that right?) stitch and hope to wash and block it and get a pic before hubby runs off with the camera Tuesday night.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Yard work continues

we had the irrigation guy stop by yesterday and today hubster went and got all the required parts for that - also ordered a mark out by electric and gas company so no lines get hit. No pictures still - waiting for a grand reveal - maybe when there is actual grass even.

The neighbor must have liked our hedges though because she had had hers done earlier in the year but today they were back and did them to the same height as ours.

We are lucking out on the cost (even though it is still going to run pretty high) because almost everyone we have used (including the company that has the parts for the irrigation) are members of the Fire Department and everyone is giving us breaks...... as annoyed as I can get at the time required for the FD it is a family that helps out when they can. Which shouldn't surprise me because hubster helps everyone out when he is able to also.

Talked to a friend who is a carpenter on how much it would cost to build the shed - if it is anywhere near the cost to have one delivered - I will order one already made and delivered. The company that does them does a good job but they are pretty expensive. So I will figure in time to get it done also.

Can you tell I want this done with lawnmowers in the shed so it will never end up the way it was again.

On the knitting front - my 4th of July socks are coming along slowly because I am also doing a bag as a knit along with one of my knitting circles - but the cotton ribbon in that is beating up my hands. Plus I had to rip it out as we decided that it should be done in smaller needles to make it stretch less when done.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

more dog than cat

You Are: 80% Dog, 20% Cat

You and dogs definitely have a lot in common.
You're both goofy, happy, and content with the small things in life.
However, you're definitely not as needy as the average dog. You need your down time occasionally.

thanks to Martha of Marfa's Mewsings
well I know the goofy part is right hehehe

Waiting on a bit of hedge clippings to be moved and some storage things to be moved before taking pictures of my finished yard - but believe me it is WONDERFUL!! I can only imagine how great it will be with irrigation and grass :D

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

This isn't the landscaper

mentioned before. After I talked to the wife and he never called back - We went with a 3rd landscaper - a young man who happens to be in the Fire Department with hubster. (I was determined to get this done NOW!!!) He used to work for someone else and is just starting his own company. They got here yesterday at 7:30 am and left at 6 pm.

btw - the other landscaper (the one I called and spoke to his wife) is working next door to us again - and was all day yesterday. I did call the wife yesterday am and let her know that we had hired someone else - but I guess he figured it out before he went home and heard from her too. . .

The owner of the company had to go to Pennsylvania today to pick up a new piece of equipment but the helper is here today doing the hedge and another company is picking up the debris from yesterday and the dumpster is leaving today too.

Excuse any errors in this -- I just got up a half hour ago and don't have any caffeine in me yet. I don't function well without caffeine....

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

my modeling tree is no more



Sarah Blanch Shawl 5/06
Originally uploaded by rho1640
It was too large and was a danger to the house if there was a hurricane - but I have to admit I cried as I said bye bye tree -- this tree was our first Christmas tree in this house .....

I have been taking pictures of the progress each day - when the debris is all taken away along with a dumpster of stuff we managed to get rid of too I will post the pictures -- I HAVE A BIG YARD (well .25 acre but it sure looks bigger than it did before)

Friday, May 18, 2007

meme meme meme meme

why do I want to sing that??


tagged by Sachi

The rules:
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.


1) I started going gray in High School - everyone would ask me where I got my hair frosted - So I guess technically I was pretty close to salt and pepper then

2) I walk into walls A. LOT. and bounce of most of the walls - I honestly don't drink - hubby says I need to pay better attention to what I am doing and he is probably right - I usually am talking or looking somewhere else or walking faster than my brain can process that the wall is coming at me.

3) I also have lots of bruises that I have no knowledge of getting - maybe partly attributed to #2 -- also the to fact that it takes 3 days for a bruise to show on me. By then I have forgotten what I did. So I am constantly telling hubster "Remember that I dropped a box, (ran into a wall, stubbed my toe, whatever) and when that bruise on my toe, (shoulder, hip, leg) shows up be sure to remind me of what happened"

4) before I broke my shoulder I was a hell of an archer - I could out shoot pretty much anyone around - and I did a Robin Hood shot where I put one arrow completely into another - in fact when we were shooting constantly there was a group of us who would shoot for the feathers of other people arrows so we only had to replace feathers rather than arrows.

acck - I am really boring - I am having problems going further.....

5) I like to laugh - I have a loud laugh - - I think I have embarrassed people with my laugh....

6) We were bird sitting for a friend - and I sneezed - I sneezed LOUDLY (do we see a pattern here) I scared the bird so much he fell off his perch - the bird is still mad at me because I compounded the sin by laughing (loudly) at what happened. But honestly have you ever seen a bird fall off it's perch-- it is pretty funny. Especially the look on its face when it hits the floor.

7) I qualify to join both the Founding Families and DAR - because of my ancestors arriving here shortly after the Mayflower and because I also had some very brave ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War and did some pretty impressive things at that time -- and while I greatly admire my ancestors and only hope I could live up to their example - there is no way I would join either group -- waaay too stuffy for me.

8) hmmmmm --- I have a fear of heights -- I am fine in airplanes, helicopters, or on ski lifts -- but I absolutely can't stand skyscrapers, bridges, edges of cliffs. I have pictures proving I was up in the Eiffel Tower but I have no memory of it at all - I totally blocked it. . . . and I thought I could do the Washington Monument because it had little teeny tiny windows - but I was so scared -- I couldn't look out the windows -- and poor hubby had bruises where I gripped his shoulders so hard walking down the stairs to the lower level to get to the elevator to go down. And he doesn't bruise easily. .


now I don't think I have 8 people who read this and I can't tag Sachi again so anyone who reads it please do it on their blog and let me know so I can go read your answers.

My Daemon is

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Did I do a bad thing?

Remember I mentioned the landscaper who gave us a quote on doing our yard -- well.... I hadn't heard from him and called his cell phone number from his business card with no response -- so tonight after knitting circle I called the other number on his card which was his home and one of his children answered and I asked for their dad - but the mom came on the line -- I explained who I was and said that all I needed was a date that he could start the job and I would have money in hand for them. Since I heard a baby in the background and at least the one child it sounded like the wife was happy to hear about the money in hand.

We have lots of friends in carpentry, plumbing etc so we know how hard it is to get people to pay for services rendered and I figured maybe saying the money is in hand would move the job along... so am I evil to do it this way. He did have the home number on the card - I actually thought that I was calling his office and would get a machine but when I got the wife I just went for it.

Now just so you know that I am not hiring a landscaper for some minor job -- this is my back yard from our roof -- you NEED machinery to tackle that job!!!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Actual Knitting Content

My socks done in April


And next are the socks I am working on now - this is the yarn from the frogged 2 socks on 2 circulars that I hated and frogged when they were done - they were in a time out in my bag but I needed yarn that I didn't have to wind into a ball so they got taken out earlier than planned - so far they are behaving themselves though.

Just realized how blurry the second picture is - sorry but you get the idea I guess. It is at the TV remote cozy stage at this point.


Ok, I am sitting here laughing my head off -- do you know that one of the options from spell check for the word frogged is frigged -- LOL

OH, I am tired if that is striking me so funny ;)

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

I took pictures of my socks today

now I have to remember where the heck I put the cords to put it on the computer - I KNOW I put it somewhere I would never forget and it was a perfect place.... hmmmmm wonder where it could have been?

Gill - thanks for letting me steal your Fibro Fighter button - I also put a Fibro link in my links list that takes you to a site with information on Fibro written by a doctor who has it. OK here is a laugh - spell check wants to make Fibro = Fibre LOL

I went to the chiropractor today - trying to loosen up some spots that are flaring big time - my neck in particular is giving me fits this time (more than it has for a long time) And I am in the cycle of being so tired and in enough pain I can't sleep which just keeps the cycle going. Of course if I could get some pain medication I could take a pill and get some sleep because it would bring the levels down a bit. One of my biggest bones to pick with the government - Pain management in this country sucks - Because of a few crooks - the people who need the medication cannot get it. Instead of prosecuting the bad guys the innocent person suffers. OK off my soap box now.....

On the knitting front - the socks I am working on now are from the yarn that went into the bin for a time out - I decided I was just doing a simple sock 2 inches of rib then all knit after that - so I can work on my heels and toes to be happier with them when my sock club yarn and patterns come. I hope the patterns are easy - since I haven't done any lace or cables or anything hard yet at all -- but unlike Jo there is no time limit with my club - I can take a whole month to do them if I want - as long as I am done before I get the next one I will be thrilled.

So pics to follow tomorrow (I think I remembered where the cords are - the office closet) . . . .please remember though my socks are simple and I haven't quite loved my heel and toe results yet. . .

It's 2am so I am off to take some Advil and melatonin and see if I can get to bed in an hour or so.... for a couple of hours at least.

Saturday, May 05, 2007

I still live

and have even been knitting - almost done with a pair of socks. But I am in a pretty big flare from travel and am not doing much. I will try to get some pics up of the sock before I start the pair I am going to felt for slippers.

Of course, despite my flare - today hubby asked me to help him in the yard a bit so I did. Hopefully I won't feel worse and really really hopefully the sun allergy won't kick in - I slathered myself with the super duper sun screen (that I have to order more of) and wore a hat etc. but I am still red - just hold off on the burn and itch please. I really don't want to do steroid shots ... every year I do the guessing game of how much sun I can actually take before it kicks in.

Anyone reading this please send good thoughts out to the universe that the landscaping guy we called calls back today so we can get our yard cleaned. I have weeds taller than me in my back yard (with lots of stickers on them so machinery is better to get it out) It has only taken 3 years to get hubby to give up on his friend doing it and calling someone else - --- so I really want this guy to follow up with a date and get it done quickly. What we did out there today was all prep work for this guy to come and do his thing.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Before and after

To get a real idea of what it looked like this morning add about another foot to the length and about another foot to the width and you get an idea of the before
my normal way of wearing it - up in a bun.


And now the new me --

OH - ignore the letter L coming out of my head - and ignore the bad quality of the pictures since it is really hard to take a picture in the mirror in the bathroom using a towel over the shower curtain as a backdrop -- they really do look like mug shots don't they?


Tomorrow we see if I can get it to look like this - it will be easy for the summer and it will dry in minutes instead of the days it took with it long.

Knitting content coming soon I promise! I actually picked up the needles and knit yesterday for a bit and am going to Knitting Circle tomorrow.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Went to doctor yesterday

and told him I felt like a fraud being there - when he asked why I told him I wasn't feeling THAT sick - but wanted to shut the hubster up from bugging me to go to see him. I guess my Dr's idea and my idea of what THAT sick is are different. I ended up with 3 shots, a double round of zithromax and a double round of the cough syrup with codeine. So basically since I started the meds yesterday I have slept. In fact I slept the latest I think I ever slept in my life - went to bed around 2am last night and woke up at 11:30am this morning YIKES -- then this afternoon I slept in the chair a bit and then went in to lie down at 7 woke up at 9 and took my syrup again about an hour ago and am ready to go to bed in about a half hour from now.

I did knit about 6 rows on my vest front - and since it seems I can't type under the influence I don't know how good my knitting under the influence will be. ;)

I did find a shawl or scarf I want to try - it is called Dipsy Doodle and here is a link if I can remember how to do it Dipsy Doodle scarf
I think that I would like to do a cable on the other side of it where there isn't one - so it is balanced out better.... I also would like to do it wider so it would be a shawl - I think this is more scarf size. But maybe first doing the it the actual size it is written would be a good idea since I have never done either cables or lace - ya think?

But first to get my vest done while I can still wear it this year. There isn't that much to do I am 1/3 up on the final front piece then the little pieces that go up the sides and around the arms are all I have to do - I just need to work on it when I am feeling less woozy from the cough syrup...and maybe less upset stomach wise from the pills.

And remember any mistakes in this post or weirder than usual phrasing of things or missed spelling errors are all due to the meds.

Monday, March 19, 2007

No knitting content

coughing too much to even pick up the needles - blah. Going to the doctor tomorrow - will probably be given wonderful cough med. with codeine so then at least I will sleep and a couple of shots in the butt (I really hate needles!!). Someday I will make it a whole year without bronchitis!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Welcome

to my new address.

As you can see everything is the same other than the new name and address ...

Thanks Rhonna for all of your help!!

Monday, March 05, 2007

change of blog title

to rho's knitting goes... I wanted to change the whole thing but couldn't figure out how to do it without deleting the blog and starting a new one - sooo .... even though the address is still the old address the name is new.

Not so many knitting woes and my knitting is like the energizer bunny that just goes and goes and goes....

even when I don't blog about it is really is still going.. honest Jo... ;)

Friday, March 02, 2007

Well,

it was requested that I have some knitting content - thanks Jo for working the guilt angle ;D


But, it is such a dark, dank, dreary day today that I will only describe it - pictures tomorrow if it is brighter.


I finished the back of my vest and am at the decreases on the left front of the vest and it seems to be going along pretty well. And I love the color -- what color is that???

Why BLUE of course. Aren't you surprised?




Sunday, February 25, 2007

Getting wrinkles out of clothes

I am trying throwing them in the dryer with a damp t-shirt. Think it will work. Apparently I left our dinosaur of an iron somewhere along the East Coast while traveling. Just shows how often I worry about wrinkle free clothes doesn't it LOL

wish me luck - I guess I will be shopping later in the week for a new iron -- any tips or recommendations -- this one was about 35 years old - I doubt new ones will last that long though hehehe

Sunday, February 18, 2007

ouch - from the other day...


forgot to take pictures while this was all colorful but here is part of it winding down - - There is much more just yellow and green bruising on the front of my leg but it was just yucky..

Jeez my legs are dry - I really need to moisturize them ...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Sometimes the Universe provides in unexpected ways

for example - I picked up the book I had ordered from our local bookstore - because we have a storm coming - I had planned on having the book to read and knitting to do and since we probably won't be going out to get our lobster in the storm tomorrow I bought shrimp to make scampi for dinner tomorrow. But I guess the universe decided I wouldn't stop and enjoy the book and the knitting so it put a bump in the frozen ground for me to trip over -- Ouch -- Let's just say I am going to have a spectacular bruise on my shin and I am afraid to look and see what is causing some really impressive twinges....

This is going to be a spectacular year I know - Heck - I am getting all the crud out early in the year :D Oops - I just realized that may be a cryptic remark if you don't know that I had the stomach flu from hell last week -- I did about 2 miles for the 100 miles by April Fools Day just running from my chair in the living room to the bathroom with bodily fluids coming from one side or the other - not fun. So you see -- things have to look up after the past couple of weeks heheheh

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Things only a Bonacker would know!

I got this in an email from another Bonacker today and laughed hysterically at it - hopefully non-bonackers will think it is amusing at least

LONG ISLAND.... You can use the back roads to get home quicker than the average tourist, but you don't know the names of any of the streets...it is all intuition.

You live in the shadow of the greatest city in the world, but you almost never go there.

You don't live in Long Island. You live ON Long Island. You don't live in the Hamptons... you are from Amagansett, East Hampton, Montauk, Springs or Wainscott. You say Bonac Crick for Creek.

You know how many lanes go over the Shinnecock Canal and where the speed traps/state troopers hang near there. You don't go to Manhattan, you go to "The City." You never realize you have an accent till you leave. Everything north of the Bronx is "upstate." New Jersey sucks.


When you're away from Long Island, you love it and when you're there, you don't. You are proud you are from Springs. You think if you're not from Long Island or NYC, you're not really from New York. You know people from the Oak View Trailer Park.

At some point in your life you've gone clamming. Either your parents or your grandparents lived in the city. You'd pay $11.50 for a movie. You ran outta toilet paper and bought it at Hess, because it was the only thing open.

Your distant future might involve the state of Florida and living in a trailer does not sound crazy. You can correctly pronounce places like Hauppauge, Wantagh, Massapequa, Amagansett, Napeague. You can also pronounce Schenck's.

You know the location of 3 malls and 4 McDonalds and thirty six 7-11's on Long Island. You know where the best hunting, clamming and fishing spots are. You can navigate through Northwest with your eyes closed.

You never, ever want to "change at Jamaica..." You've missed that "Drunk Train," the 2:42 out of Penn and had the dreaded wait until 5:30. You have or someone you know has fallen asleep on the LIRR and ended up in one of these three places; Babylon, Speonk or Montauk.

No, you don't want mustard on that burger!! You know what a Villa Combo is. You've had a seagull or goose crap on your car. You've tried to find the Amityville Horror house, at least once. You've been to the Radar Tower in Montauk and been spooked.

You went to an elementary school that promoted dodge ball as the number 1 game among children 5-13.

You know what a John Burger is and have eaten food at either Mc Kendry's or Wolfies, and regretted it in the morning. You know what a Morning After is from One Stop. You can name the brothers that own Fierro's and have a charge/house account there.

Quick! Who's your county Executive? Don't know do you? But you can name the local fire chief can't you?

You've never taken an MTA bus. The Long Island Expressway isn't really as bad as everybody thinks. You don't associate Fire Island with gay men. You don't cross the Shinnecock Canal unless you have to from Memorial Day to Labor Day...EVER! You know which parts of the Godfather were filmed on Long Island. You go to Riverhead to go shopping, cause it's cheaper.

You know where the movie stars live, but really don't care.

You've paid a $20 cover charge to get into a bar, but got nothing for it. You've paid $12 for a drink in the village, but been too drunk to care. You've gotten into the Talkhouse free, at least once. You've been pulled over by the Sag Harbor Police Department and think they are all pricks.

Billy Joel said it best, " either you date a rich girl from the North Shore, or a cool girl from the South Shore." You've always liked Billy Joel and you own several of his "records."

You don't really see what the big deal is about the Hamptons. You have gotten smashed at the Boardy Barn. You know at least 5 local cops by name, cause they pull you over and then laugh. You are related to in someway to a Lester, King or Bennett. (some of us are related to all three groups - rho)

When people ask "where are you from?" you answer Long Guy- Land and automatically assume everyone in the world knows that answer means New York.

The Belt Parkway sucks! You've been stuck in a traffic jam for more than 2 hours (without moving). You know not to turn the corner by the Diner in Southampton in the summer-EVER! You remember when Wainscott had no traffic lights. You can remember when Bridgehampton had the Drive in.

Regular gas -- $2.69-$4.19 and you still pay it to fill up your 2-5 inch lifted truck!!! You know who Kenny is, and don't have to say his last name.

You remember Grumman. You know where Republic Airport is. You have never been to East Hampton Airport, for anything.

You've gotten drunk on the bleachers of some high school. You know what Albert's is. You didn't like the kids from Pierson.

You have said "I love the guys at Mt Fuji" after downing 5 Sake Bombs at Mount Fuji.

You can spout off all the LIRR stops between Babylon and
Montauk, laughing when you say SPEONK!! Paying $50 for a haircut doesn't sound so crazy.

You think the people from Brooklyn are "da wunz dat tawk wit a accent." You knew of Massapequa before the Amy Fisher-Joey Buttafuoco nightmare.

You've partied on a golf course in the middle of the night. You used to party at the bar in the bowling alley.

The first time you heard the term "Long Island Iced Tea" you were somewhere else and you laughed. When you live somewhere else and are astounded to see that people actually stop at yellow lights. When you just sort of presume that wherever you live, they have Schwenks green box Iced Tea.

You can name at least three bands that came from Long Island, including Twisted Sister. When you see two men holding hands...it's normal to you.

No word ends in an ER, just an AH.

You actually remember most of these things and pass this on to other friends from Eastern Long Island-BUB!!!

Friday, February 02, 2007

Another (Silent) Poetry Reading

This was hanging in my home as long as I can remember (and in a bright red frame so everyone would read it as they walked by) - I had a devil of a time finding a copy of it to put here - but it was so worth the search. I had forgotten how much I loved this and how perfectly it puts into words the memories and feelings, and spirit that was the Bonac I remember as a child.

Bonac


I

This is enchanted country, lies under a spell,
Bird-haunted, ocean-haunted--land of youth,
Land of first love, land of death also, perhaps,
And desired return. Sea-tang and honeysuckle
Perfume the air, where the old house looks out
Across mild lowlands, meadows of scrub and pine,
A shell echoing the sea's monotone
That haunts these shores. And here, all summer through,
From dawn to dusk, there will be other music,
Threading the sea's music: at rise of sun,
With jubilation half-awakened birds
Salute his coming again, the lord of life,
His ambulatory footstep over the earth,
Who draws after him all that tide of song-
Salute the oncoming day, while from the edges.
Of darkness, westward, fading voices call,
Night's superseded voices, the whip-poor-will's
Lamentation and farewell. Morning and noon
And afternoon and evening, the singing of birds
Lies on this country like an incantation:
Robin and wren, catbird, phoebe and chat,
Song-sparrow's music-box tune, and from the slender
Arches of inmost shade, the woodland's roof,
Where few winds come, flutelike adagio or
Wild syrinx-cry and high raving of the thrush,
Their clang and piercing pierce the spirit through--
Look off into blue heaven, you shall witness
Angelic motions, the volt and sidewise shift
Of the swallow in mid-air. Enchanted land,
Where time has died; old ocean-haunted land;
Land of first love, where grape and honeysuckle
Tangle their vines, where the beach-plum in spring
Snows all the inland dunes; bird-haunted land,
Where youth still dwells forever, your long day
Draws to its close, bringing for evening-star
Venus, a bud of fire in the pale west,
Bringing dusk and the whip-poor-will again,
And the owl's tremolo and the firefly,
And gradual darkness. Silently the bat,
Over still lawns that listen to the sea,
Weaves the preoccupation of his flight.
The arch of heaven soars upward with all its stars.

II

Summer fades soon here, autumn in this country
Comes early and exalted. Where the wild land,
With its sparse bayberry and huckleberry,
Slopes seaward, where the seaward dunes go down,
Echoing, to the sea; over the beaches,
Over the shore-line stretching east and west,
The ineffable slant light of autumn lingers.
The roof of heaven is higher now, the clouds
That drag, trailing, along the enormous vault
Hang higher, the wide ways are wider now.
Sea-hawks wander the ocean solitudes,
Sea-winds walk there, the waters grow turbulent,
And inland also a new restlessness
Walks the world, remembering something lost,
Seeking something remembered: wheeling wings
And songless woods herald the great departure,
Cattle stray, swallows gather in flocks,
The cloud-travelling moon through gusty cloud
Looks down on the first pilgrims going over,
And hungers in the blood are whispering, "Flee!
Seek otherwhere, here is no lasting home."
Now bird-song fails us, now an older music
Is vibrant in the land--the drowsy cry
Of grasshopper and cricket, earth's low cry
Of sleepy love, her inarticulate cry,
Calling life downward, promising release
From these vague longings, these immortal torments.
The drowsy voice drones on--oh, siren voice:
Aeons of night, millenniums of repose,
Soundless oblivion, divine surcease,
Dark intermingling with the primal darkness,
Oh, not to be, to slough this separate being,
Flow home at last! The alert spirit listens,
Hearing, meanwhile, far off, along the coast,
Rumors of the rhythm of some wakeful thing,
Reverberations, oceanic tremors,
The multitudinous motions of the sea,
With all its waters, all its warring waves

John Hall Wheelock

and to give you one bonus poem that I love too - by himself again.....

Afternoon: Amagansett Beach

The broad beach,
Sea-wind and the sea's irregular rhythm,
Great dunes with their pale grass, and on the beach
Driftwood, tangle of bones, an occasional shell,
Now coarse, now carven and delicate--whorls of time
Stranded in space, deaf ears listening
To lost time, old oceanic secrets.
Along the water's edge, in pattern casual
As the pattern of the stars, the pin-point air-holes
Left by the sand-flea under the receding spume,
Wink and blink out again. A gull drifts over,
Wide wings crucified against the sky--
His shadow travels the shore, upon its margins
You will find his signature: one long line,
Two shorter lines curving out from it, a nearly
Perfect graph of the bird himself in flight.
His footprint is his image fallen from heaven.



So - can you picture the area and time I grew up in? To give credit to where I finally found these poems so I could show you the whole verse instead of little snippets I could remember I thank

Modern Verse in English, 1900-1950
Book by David Cecil, Allen Tate; Macmillan, 1958

Also for bringing this to my attention thanks to Jane
and Crazy Lanea

Monday, January 29, 2007

What is on my computer desktop

This is a picture I have had on my computer for awhile - I love watching the boats and people fishing at the inlet - I enjoy it almost as much as actually fishing at the inlet.

Thanks guernseygal This will be a fun meme.

OOPS - it is blue again isn't it -- I guess I see a real theme in my life going on here - maybe I should just give up and go with my love of blue and stop trying to bring other colors into my life :D

Friday, January 26, 2007

Picture heavy post


Or how I spent my winter vacation -- I can't figure out how to post by each picture so you will have to forgive me -
Picture 1 is a manatee eating and resting in the shade - where I was happy to be in the heat also
#2 is a new way to surf - no waves needed
#3 after surfing we get to splash the audience
#4 is in the wrong place as it was near the end of the show
#5 incredible divers who were lifted back up to the platform by a rope lift that they put their hands thru - if you click on the picture you can see the trapezee artists in the picture too.....
#6 the flying bird lady
#7 can we dance
#8 HI my name is Shamu
#9 how wet can we get the audience
#10 this is closer to the edge maybe it will get even more wet
#11 Why don't people pay attention to where it says "Soak Zone" I still don't get why so many seemed surprised when they got "SOAKED"
#12 waving good bye
#13 I kept expecting them to burst into song and dance like the movie "Happy Feet"
and #14 the best picture of the whole trip --when we left home the gas was $2.55 and when we got home it was $2.59 I thought that $1.93 was picture worthy :D

I truly am the worst photographer in the world but these turned out pretty good considering I was holding the camera to my right and just trying to line it up with the action and click it fast enough to get the picture. I'm pretty happy with them...

Jo tell your hubby to be kind :D ......

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing. I'm trying to figure out how to post the vacation pics so this is a part of my setting it up

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

I swear I will post pictures from Vacation

it has been crazed since we got back -- MIL had a few episodes over the past couple of nights so we were over there getting her calmed down and meds into her (she decides we are all trying to poison her during these - so we have to get her out of the rage then get the meds in - fun) I am so glad I have knitting to bring with me- still using my shrug as my mindless knitting for times like this...

Today I am making a white bean with garlic soup found on Rachael Ray site - since last night hubby promised some to the caregiver and to mom -- hopefully I will get it mostly done before Knitting Circle (that I have missed for about a month - I miss my group....)

Friday, January 19, 2007

back from vacation

but no vacation post just yet - instead I did a quiz and got this result

Your Winter Look is Casual

You go for warmth and comfort, yet still manage to look great


and while I will agree with the warmth and comfort part -- I don't know about the look great part LOL

Once I get the camera in from the car and the cables to download the pictures I will do a vacation post...

Sunday, January 07, 2007

So I got my battery for my pedometer

and it is up and running -- it only took 3 stores to get it - I tried to give the business to our nephew who owns a camera store - but those batteries were used in old cameras not the new ones -- also a friend with an eye glass/hearing aid shop - but those batteries wouldn't last long in the pedometer. Final Stop --- Radio Shack - they had it . . . oh well, think of the extra steps I took right?

Just a couple hours of getting ready to go today and we are off in the morning. I'm actually using the lists I made for this - what a change from my normal making lists and putting them aside.

I have to find time to wind up some yarn for the trip -- some sock yarn and some yarn for a shawl. I am also working on my mindless shrug pattern (that I am making up as I go- easy peasy as long as I remember my decreases and where to make them - since I seem to have misplaced my notes on how I started out) -- And I have a bunch of books to read. And money, credit cards and travelers checks - I think I am ready for anything :D

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Stupid Pedometer

I wore it all today - and walked about 4 miles in all my running around -- and got home to look at what the exact number was and it wasn't working -- I have to replace the battery I guess. Well at least I can look for a battery tomorrow. But Dang!!!!

I am thrilled that I was able to get in to see the chiropractor where I used to work so I can get my neck adjusted - hopefully one adjustment will be enough - but no matter what it has to feel better than it has been feeling the past 2 days. So tomorrow at 11:30 I will be being "cracked" as my hubby calls it.

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

testing new blogger

Just switched over and I am trying to see what the heck I got into - And I have to try to put my buttons on the sidebar and I have no idea what to do with that so it may take me awhile to get that done. I did save a copy of the template on what was on my blog before so maybe I can manage

Runagogo!

Rachael has set up a blog for everyone doing the 100 miles by 4/1/07 Here go join in - I think it is going to be a lot of fun and a great way to get up and do a bit of exercise.

I will be keeping track of my steps while we are away and posting when we get back since I won't be taking the laptop with me. So I will have lots to catch up with by then.

Off to look for more warm weather clothes to wash and freshen up for packing - oh what to bring - cold clothes, mild clothes, and warm weather clothes -- I am not a clothes horse - you would think this would be easy for me wouldn't you?

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

My non-New Years Resolution

I'm not a huge fan of New Years Resolutions but this seemed fun and maybe a way to motivate me to walk more. And by walking more I would be accomplishing most anything else that could/would have been on my resolution list - other than organizing my life better (which is a perpetual resolution that may actually take sometime)

So I joined 100 miles by April 1st in my case it will be walking not running though. I am hoping that I will get a good bit of it done on vacation - where I will have to remember to put my pedometer on everyday and to record the steps. A good question I was asked but didn't think to put here earlier (thanks CPAKnits)- it is 2,000 steps to a mile if you are using a pedometer.

Now to go and try to remember how to put the button on my sidebar.