Funny Girl

Sometimes a picture really does speak a thousand words...

I'm In, I'm In!

I just got my invitation to Ravelry (actually, it arrived on October 5 and I never downloaded my e-mail this weekend) and I am so excited! My screen name will be KnittyCatKnits if anyone wants to check it out. More projects and info will be coming soon. It is just as addictive as everyone says! :)

Also, Happy 21st Birthday to my niece Sophie! Pictures from last night's Birthday Extravaganza to come very soon.

Oh What a (Opening) Night!

Last night Doug, Rachel and I went to the Opening Night Predators game vs. the Colorado Avalanche and I have this to say:

Preds Win!
Shutout! (Final Score 4-0)
We won a "Jersey off Our Backs" from Ortmeyer.

It was a perfect night and after 10 years--and 16,000+ fans-- I can't believe "we" (Doug's name was drawn) actually won a very large, very sweaty, game worn jersey.

Of course, it's me, and my camera died before I got pictures but I am going to try and download the photos from my cell phone.

Monday Again

I have a few errands to run this morning and then it's Knitting at the Library day. Hooray! On the second Monday of each month there is a group that meets at the main public library in downtown Nashville. Knitters of note often attend, there are door prizes, and a good time is had by all. It's been awhile since my schedule has allowed me to attend, so I am really looking forward to it.

Doug and I have been working hard in the veggie garden, too. I need to post a photo or two, but we've been trying to come up with a foolproof way to keep our dog Pogo out of the garden. He has become obsessed with stealing the green tomatoes (I think he believes they are tennis balls) and if things keep up this way we won't harvest a ripe tomato this summer. Doug has reinforced the fencing and is building a new wood gate that I don't think he'll be able to push his way under. I tell ya, sometimes pets seem to be more trouble than they are worth. Of course, I don't really mean that. Pogo is awfully cute.

Dishcloths for Jules

These are the dishcloths I made for my sister Julie. I made her some last year, in more muted tones, and they were wearing out. She requested that the new ones be in brighter colors and I think she got what she asked for. heehee

In my excitement at finshing, I sent these off without taking a picture so this photo is from her. Thanks, Jules. I'm really glad you like them.

Beat the Heat

One of the advantages to this heatwave (heat index is 107 degrees today) is the fact that I feel no guilt whatsoever in staying indoors.

This morning I drove out to Murfreesboro to visit a favorite LYS, The Knaughty Knitter. Meredith has a SnB on Thursday mornings and today she was having a big sale as well. I bought 4 skeins of ArtYarns Ultramerino 8, some Berroco Suede to make a top for my sister Christine, Crytal Palace Maizy for socks, and Tatamy Tweed by Kraemer Yarns to make Rachel a sweater. Whew! Good thing I have my birthday as an excuse! lol

My friends Laurie and Sally were there, too, and it was fun to shop & knit a little. I haven't been making it out on Thursdays since school let out so it was a special treat. School starts for Rachel on the 15th, so I'm sure I'll be making it out there on a more regular basis.

I am still working on the "Polly Pocket Dress" in Rowan Denim from Miss Bea's Seaside. I'll post a photo when I get a little further along. I am almost done with the back but it doesn't look like much as yet.

Monsoon Season?

It's approximately 101 degrees here in Nashville today, and with the drought most of us are wishing for the rains to come, but I just had to go ouside and take this photo of the (wool) Socks that Rock "Inside Out" sock I finished* up last night. This was the February kit from the STR Sock Club, the colorway is called Monsoon. The April & June kirs were beautiful--I need to post photos of the skeins before I get them rolled.

Now I just need to make the other one, and when this heat wave passes and the fall temps arrive I'll be cozy in my "cool" socks. Big smile for my first adult sock!

*Please disregard that end I still need to sew in!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today was my 41st birthday and I had a terrific day. I got wonderful voicemails and e-cards from dear friends and family--thanks everyone!


A few weeks ago I signed up to take a watercolor class from Gail McDaniel and today was the first day (a nice coincidence!). This is my first watercolor from a still life that was today's subject. I still need to add a few more details, but all in all I was pretty happy with it. It has been many years since I did any painting and it was a lot of fun to get out of the house and do something that is just for me.


Next, I had lunch with my sister Christine, my brother Lou, and BIL Eddie at Cozymel's. Rachel was still at the drop-in childcare place and it was a delicious and peaceful lunch. They gave me gardening & art supplies and these beautiful flowers.


After lunch I picked up Rachel & went to see my friends at our Tuesday afternoon knitting group. A couple of members were missing (see you soon Jinjifore & Barb!) but we had a great time together as always.

I didn't make it down to Stillwaters Cafe for the evening Meetup group since Doug and I planned to go out to Red Lobster for dinner. Dinner was delicious and I hope to make it down to see Phyllis and Co. next week.

All told, it was a wonderful birthday.

Knitting for Gifts

I have been finishing up some of the WIPs I have laying around before I succumb to the urge to start something new.


Here is the baby blanket I made from Blue Sky Organic Cotton, colorway 85, for a friend who is having her first baby --a boy--in October. The pattern is adapted from natural knits for babies and moms. The finished dimensions of the blanket in the book was only 18" x 24" . I thought that seemed a bit small, so I added some stitches to the width and knitted a couple of extra repeats. It's not huge now either (approx. 24" x 27"), but I think the size is good for a stroller or car seat, or just carrying around for snuggling. The yarn is wonderful--very soft to touch and a beautiful twist of cream and silvery green.



This is another one of the Koigu beaded purses I have been making. This time in a bright tomato red for a friend who loves all things red.

While it can seem a little sad to give away so much of my knitting, I really love the idea that my time, energy and love are in every stitch --and I know that the people I give things to appreciate that.

My Little Fish

I decided to enroll Rachel in some private swim lessons at the Y this summer. We took several of the group lesson series last year and we didn't make much progress. Rachel's favorite lifeguard/instructor, Beth, was back this summer and in 3 lessons Rachel was swimming underwater and could swim doggie paddle the 25-yard length of the pool. I was so impressed and actually surprised when she passed the Y's swim test to use the large water slides in the outdoor pool and earned the much-coveted green wristband. You go, girl!

Wedding Bells

Yesterday one of my oldest friends got married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the Bicentennial Park in downtown Nashville.


They didn't start out planning a summer wedding, but when they saw the 07-07-07 date, they were sold. Ed is the son of my mother's best friend and we grew up together--at each other's homes, on summer vacations and at our older siblings' swim meets. He is almost like a younger brother & we have a lot of terrific memories. It was a lot of fun reminiscing, seeing both of his parents and making each other laugh.


Best of all-- seeing Ed and his beautiful bride, Jennifer, so happy. Some days are just good.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th! We had a great family day today--swimming, horseshoes, the cookout, watermelon, fireworks--the whole deal.

We started out only expecting my sister Susan, her husband Ken and Angus but then Doug's sister Jennifer called. They decided to forego the craziness in downtown Nashville and join us for a more laid-back holiday out here in Franklin.

Despite the mechanical failure of the gas grill, we had a lot of fun. I only wish that the 4th hadn't fallen mi-week this year and we could have gotten a long weekend...

Cousins

My nephew, Sam (far left), cam home for a few days after his graduation from NYU. Despite my shock at the whole Grizzly Adams look, it was really good to see him. Sophie was home from college for the summer as well, so it was the perfect moment to grab this rare photo of Rachel with her cousins from my side of the family.



Take note of the very cool turquoise '65 Chevy pickup truck my sister Susan got for Mother's Day.

Happy Memorial Day!

We have had a full and fun Memorial Day so far.

A tech from Bell South came by bright & early to fix our DSL Service (haven't had internet for the last few days), but we were back up better than ever in about 30 minutes. We had some breakfast, walked Pogo, and started the beef brisket we'll grill later for dinner.

My sister Christine, brother Lou and BIL Eddie all competed in the Memorial Day Triathalon at the Jewish Community Center this morning. I called Chris to see how they did. Lou did the swim, Chris the bike, and Ed did the run portion--and they won the relay category! I wish I could have made it out to watch again this year. (Chris & Lou were on the relay team last year, too, but with a different runner.)

We hung out and had BLTs for lunch and then Rachel asked to get out the water toys.

Doug joined in, too:

Nick's at Night

We went over to our neighbor Nick's house tonight for a cookout. Doug and Nick got to talking while I was in Missouri, and this mornning we got invited to join him and some of the neighbors for dinner and a swim. Rachel loves the water and we had a hard time getting her to leave and get ready for bed. Luckily, we have the whole summer ahead and more opportunities to swim in Nick's beautiful pool.


Dinner was fantastic, too!

Birthdays in Springfield, MO

I got a call last week from my friend, Sherri, who now lives in Springfield, MO. We met several years ago (when we were both single and childless) on a scuba diving trip to the Red Sea. We became close friends and we have kept in touch despite the geographical distance when Sherri moved back home. She has three little girls now and two of them, turning 5 and 2, have the same birthday, May 18. Sherri called to invite me to their party on Sunday the 20th and since school was over for Rachel, we decided to go.


We started out early Saturday morning since it's about a seven-hour drive to Springfield; but, God bless the soul who invented car DVD players, Rach and I had an easy, uneventful trip. We arrived about 2:30 pm and had enough time to let the girls play and get reaquainted (Sherri's whole family came and stayed with us last August for my 40th birthday) and then we had pizza for dinner.


We spent most of Sunday morning preparing for the party and then we had a wonderful cookout, courtesy of hubby Shane, presents and cake.

On Monday we went to the park and walked along the river that runs nearby and Emma, the oldest, had a tee-ball baseball game. It was really cute to see all those little boys and girls in all their gear, trying to bat, run and field.

On Tuesday we were hoping to go down to Branson to an amusement park, but rain was threatening so we went to the nearby zoo, which was also free with my Nashville Zoo membership, in case we had to make a run for it. The zoo there is really great. The kids loved all the baby animals, especially this baby elephant, and there are two baby giraffes expected any day now.

Wednesday was the long drive home--somehow the trip back home always seems longer. Hmmm.

42nd Fiesta!

Today was Doug's 42nd Birthday and it just so happened that it coincided with the monthly meeting of our Harley-Davidson H.O.G. Chapter. In fact, this was the first "Bike Night" of the summer; when our "mostly business" off-season meetings turn into "mostly party" get-togethers. It was perfect timing and way more of a celebration than I could have put together on a Thursday night.

They had a Mexican fiesta theme with yummy food from San Antonio Taco Co. and even though they didn't get around to the pinata (Rachel was bummed) we had a really good time.

Rachel has been having a great time practicing with my digital camera and she took this picture of Senor Doug:


She is getting really good and I guess I'll be getting her a camera of her own soon.

Mother's Day, Sort Of

Well, today was Mother's Day but it was basically a non-event for me. Doug is of the opinion that Mother's Day is really about his mother, not me. While I don't expect to be showered with lavish and expensive gifts, it would have been nice to get a little pampering--sleep late, breakfast in bed, maybe a card or at least a verbal, "Thanks for all you do, honey. You're a great Mom."


Although Christine & Lou called to wish me a Happy Mother's Day (thank you, guys!) I got none of those things from Doug. This is what I spent my day doing:

This area had been Doug's dumping ground for all the cut branches and trimmings from the yard--I wish I had taken a "before" picture". It was a lot of work, but now we have nice raised beds for our veggie garden and I'll be sure to post some pics as the tomatoes, etc. come along. I am going to put the herb garden in here, too, until I have the patio put in and have a good spot closer to the house.

Usually, I get Doug to take a photo of Rachel and I together, but I even forgot to do that. I am tired and just going to turn in early...

More Grandparents

We hosted dinner at our house on Sunday night, but -gasp!- I guess in all the excitement I didn't take any pictures of Rachel with her Mom-Mom & Pop-Pop. It's really not like me not to remember and I wish I had some of the three of them here in the backyard. Sigh...

We had a delicious dinner last night over at Doug's sister Jennifer's house. She made a grilled beef brisket that was out-of this-world. Dinner at Jenny's is always a treat, but I took home the recipe for this one. Daniel finished moving out of his apartment and made it home a little later. We gave him an engraved valet box, which he seemed to like a lot.

Rachel with her Grandparents.

Rachel with her great-great Aunt Clara.

Graduations & Grandparents

My nephew Sam and Doug's nephew Daniel both graduated from college on Saturday. Sam was at NYU, and the school is so big that he decided not to attend the graduation ceremony. My sister Susan and niece Sophie went up to visit, but we'll see him when he comes home for a few days at the end of May.


Doug's Mom & Dad drove down from PA to go to Daniel's graduation from Lee, so we'll get to visit with them for a couple of days. Last night we went out to dinner and there was a piano player and singer performing. Rachel charmed everyone by dancing in front of the stage, and then the singer sat her up on a stool and sang to her. I wish the pictures had turned out better, but it was really dark in the restaurant.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

Ken gave us his tickets to the Sounds game today and we had a great time out at the ball park on a beautiful, perfect Spring afternoon. We ordered hot dogs and cherry Icees and settled into seats right above the visitors dugout on the first base line. It was really cool to see all the action up close.

A few innings into the game, the guys sitting behind us caught a foul ball and they gave it to Rachel as a souvenir. It was a really generous thing to do and she loved it, as you can see.

A good time for all--thanks, Ken!

Stanley Cup Playoffs - Game 5

The Nashville Predators ended their Playoff run last night at home in a heartbreaking Game 5 loss to the Sharks. I went to the game with my brother, Lou. I sold my three seats to a friend from the Harley Chapter and we sat in Ken & Angus' seats. We were all so pumped up and fully expecting the Preds to come out on fire with something to prove. While I knew it was along shot for them to come back and win the next three games, I really thought they would win last night. I think in the other two seasons when we made the playoffs we had that "we're just happy to be here" attitude and the crowd was proud and happy despite the first round defeats. This time the mood was definitely different and everyone left disappointed and a little angry. I think everyone felt they should have done better considering their regular season record. The expectation that we would advance was definitely there and so the defeat was all the more bitter.


I do hope that there is a coolong off period and that there aren't a bunch of rash decisions like firing the whole coaching staff, which some of the radio shows are saying could happen. Barry Trotz is a good coach and I think it is wrong to lay all the problems at his feet. There were injuries, etc. that were beyond his control and throwing the baby out with the bathwater doesn't seem like the solution, to me at least.


Of course, I am a Chicagoan at heart and we know "there's always next year!"

Preds Lose at the Shark Tank

I am going to go back and try to catch up on the last couple of weeks of posts--somehow the blog is the thing that went to the back burner with Easter, taxes, etc.

Until then, I thought I would jump on and lick my wounds a little after the pounding the Nashville Predators took against the Sharks in San Jose last night. This matchup is one of the most heated and exciting in this year's Playoffs and it's getting a lot of media attention. Even when we lose it's great hockey--tune in and support the Preds!

I was so excited to sit down at 9:00 (Rachel tucked away in bed) and watch the whole game uninterrupted. It wasn't to be however as I found, upon returning from the kitchen during a commercial, that Versus (Dish Network Ch. 151) had pulled the feed. I messed around with the TV and the DVR figuring it had to be a problem on our end, and then called my sister who is also a Dish customer. Same thing there. Instead of blacking out the programming before the game, they yanked the feed In. The. Middle. of. the. Bloody. First. Period. and I. Missed. Nashville's. Only. Goal. Doug found the game on another channel (which is why the must have stopped the coverage) but not before I got pretty ticked off.

After that the Preds were pretty much outplayed in every department, except of course when it comes to drawing penalties. We shine in the Box. The Sharks are just too strong and if we have any chance at all of surviving this series the Preds are going to have to stop wearing themselves out killing off Power Plays and save their energy for scoring goals. It is really frustrating watching the Sharks bait (no pun intended) our players and then watching them fall for it. I don't think our problems lie at the feet of Tomas Vokoun, or even Barry Trotz. I think it's an experience and self-discipline issue and the Predators are going to have to learn to keep their heads about them to survive. I hope we can pick up the next game in San Jose on Wednesday and then we are back home on Friday.

Series stands 2-1 in favor of the Sharks.

Predators Take Game #2

Christine, Eddie and I went to the second Playoff game last night against San Jose. Obviously, we liked the 5-2 outcome a lot better this time and it was great to watch the game with my sister. Doug isn't as huge a fan as Christine is, and this was the first game she made it to this season, so it was very nice of Doug to stay home and babysit. We are all hoping they can take the momentum from this game into the two road games in San Jose. It's gonna be tough but we have faith that the Preds can pick up at least one of the two.


We'll be back in Nashville on the 20th for Game 5 -- Go Preds!

Stanley Cup Playoffs - Game 1

Doug, Rachel and I went to Game 1 of Nashville's Quarterfinal Series against the San Jose Sharks last night. This is the third year in a row that the Nashville Predators have made the Playoffs in the quest for Lord Stanley's Cup, and the second straight year they have faced the Sharks in Round One.


The Sharks are big and physical and this has become a heated rivalry. Although we lost the first of two home games, the Preds looked good and didn't let the Sharks push them around too much. There were some big hits and the Preds seemed to send the message that they had come to play and it wasn't going to be as easy as last year. Go Preds!!

Hoppy Easter!

We had a lovely day today. Rachel got up and checked out her Easter Basket--including the huge solid chocolate bunny from the Easter Bunny. Doug took Rachel to church while I finished cleaning up and prepping for dinner.

Ken brought Angus over early to play with Rachel and Susan joined us a little later for a nice dinner --ham and leg of lamb, and two kinds of cake.

The kids had fun and it was nice to get together as a family.

The Neverending Foot

Wow, it's been a rough day. Some days Rachel just exhausts me, and this was a doozie.

I am posting this morning's photo of my Inside Out sock. I put it on to spare you the image of this sock at this point. :) I was able to do a little more today, but working this foot on size 0 needles is really slow...Still having fun watching this yarn do its thing, though.



Rachel has school tomorrow so I'm off to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be more relaxing!

April Fool's

I didn't play any jokes today.

In the past I have pulled some good ones on my husband, including having him completely convinced I had hit his car in the garage when I parked my SUV (I even walked into the house crying). However, it seems the universe has way of getting back at me for my very convincing acting, since shortly after one of these "jokes" 2 or 3 bad things happen to me. I am probably reading too much into the whole karma thing, but I have decided to not tempt fate and have given up "fooling".

I did enjoy the beautiful day here, though. We put up the hammock in the backyard, did a little cleaning up and odd jobs (Doug has the caulk removed out of the master bath shower--who knows how long it will take to have the caulk back in). In the afternoon I was able to join my friends for SnB at the Knaughty Knitter in Murfreesboro, where I continued to work on my Inside Out sock. I am almost to the heel and I will post a picture tomorrow when I can take one in the daylight. The SnB was wonderful, as always. The group was a little smaller than usual, but we had a lot of laughs and good conversation--and cookies & chocolate!

Dog Days

I didn't get around to writing this post last weekend, but the pictures were too cute to ignore. I spent some time with BIL Ken and nephew Angus on Sunday while Doug went to the old house to do a few things before the closing. The kids had a great time playing outside, and when they brought out this huge stuffed doggie, I had to join in the fun, too. (Sometimes I just can't help myself--this dog was really cute.)

Salami Toast

In the past couple of weeks Rachel has been really amusing us with Random Bits of Knowledge. Her vocabulary is great, but this is different. She makes comments and answers questions with information we had no idea she knew.

A few nights ago she came up with Doug's middle name, calling him Douglas Charles at bedtime. We have no idea where she heard it.

Yesterday as we drove home from the closing, we passed the sign that marks the beginning of the Franklin city limits. Rachel said, "We live in Franklin town." Again, I had no idea she paid any attention to me telling people where we live and that she had stored that little detail.

This morning Doug made us rye toast for breakfast. Rachel scooted into her chair with her bowl of Cheerios and announced, "That's salami toast, I want regular toast." Doug and I just looked at each other and cracked up.

If we ask her where she learns these sorts of things, she says Rose and Linda (her imaginary friends (I hope!)) tell her. She scares me sometimes...

Ding, Dong, the House is Gone!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! (doing the **happy dance**)

Yesterday we finally closed on our old house that has been on the market since late October 2005. Yup. You read that right. Almost 17 months. We had a contract with the same buyers a few weeks ago and they changed their minds and backed out. Our realtor, who only had the listing the last three months, apparently went to work trying to get a better financing package, since she was also the agent for the buyers. Suddenly, Doug got a call that we were back on for the end of March. Sandra used to live in the house right next door and we should have hired her from the start, she did a great job. But, live and learn--and celebrate! After the closing Doug, Rachel and I drove by the house one more time 'cause I wanted a picture of this:


Then we all went out for a "anything you want" dinner at Red Lobster. Yum!

Rockin' Socks

In a wonderful twist of fate I was able to join the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club for 2007. My first kit arrived on Monday, with a big black binder, a pattern for Inside Out socks, dyer's notes, other info & worksheets, a cute little skein of Emergency Sock Yarn and this:

I was so excited I ballled it up without taking a picture of the unwound skein. Oops. I'll be sure to take a photo of the skein from the April kit. The colorway is called "Monsoon" and it is inspired by the forest and rain in the Pacific Northwest. Other people are complaining of camouflage overtones, but living here in TN, I totally understand. The greys and browns are lovely, but the greens are my favorite.

Since this pattern was written to allow the use of dpns, two circs, or Magic Loop, I decided to try the 2 circs. After knitting a little while with my friends over at the church on Tuesday I headed over to Threaded Bliss for some Addi Turbos.

Side note: This was going to be my first adult-sized pair of socks. I took a sock class a few weeks ago where we knitted a child's sock with size 5 dpns in worsted weight. No problem. Feeling confident a few days later, I grabbed a ball of Sockata out of my stash, grabbed my size 2 dpns and thought I'd knit a pair of socks for Doug. Now, I know there are a lot of knitters out there who love their dpns--David, if you read this, I love ya and you are still my guru, but all those little needles made me NUTS! I hated them, and I am a pretty easy-going person. I cast on about three times before I gave up. I think if I could start on circs and switch to the dpns after a couple of inches I'd be okay, but I just quit before I lost an eye...

Okay, so here I am with my beautiful, squishy yarn, new Addis, and my pattern for a toe-up cabled sock. Given the above experience with dpns, I wanted to learn to knit socks on 2 circulars. I read through the pattern a few times, called Blue Moon and spoke to the designer (they are top-notch with customer service), checked out the club member blog, got more confused, watched Knitting Help videos, and took a deep breath. Whew! Sometimes, when a pattern looks intimidating it helps me to just start. Do one step at a time and trust the pattern. So I did. Hold on to your knitting---here is my First Sock, First Toe-Up, First 2 Circs, toe:

I am so proud I think my feet aren't touching the ground and it's FUN! I know, it kinda looks like a...um, ...a mushroom. Yeah that's it, it looks like a mushroom. Check out the Yarn Harlot's blog from March 16 for more (and better) humor on this rather unusual toe. Apparently, this pattern is causing quite a stir for those who are knitting this project in public. heehee

In any case, I LOVE my sock, LOVE the yarn and how it is pooling, and mostly, I LOVE knitting socks on 2 circulars. It's like going from a manual transmission to an automatic. And with about 300 fewer "intersections"! (no ladders!) Vrooom!

Back to knitting while Rachel is in school...Check back for more pics soon!

Time Flies

Wow! I was just checking up on a few of the blogs I read and realized it has been a long time since I posted. We've been busy with house organizing and spring cleaning, and spending time outside, but mostly it seems like the days just go faster and faster. Easter will be here before I know it...

We had to cancel our camping trip for Thursday and Friday. Angus got a stomach bug in the middle of Wednesday night and my sister took him home. Rachel was disappointed that we've had to reschedule, but Doug is glad he may be able to go along when we plan another trip. My BIL and I were planning to take the kids fishing and horseback riding (both for the first time!) and Doug really wanted to be there for that. So I guess things usually work out for the best. I was bummed to miss out camping in this great weather, though. Can you believe how warm it is here already?!

I have started another new knitting project--Oat Couture's "Victorian T-Shirt" for a friend's new baby girl. It is a bigger size, so it should fit later in the year. The yarn is called Gong, a sport weight cotton. It has a pretty lace border at the hem and it's been a fun small project to tote around and knit when I find myself with a few minutes to spare. The yarn splits easily, but I LOVE the celery green color. Can't wait to finish it up and mail it off to Texas!